


I Will Possess Your Heart (If You Let Me)

by raptorginger



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Art/business student Rey, Bar owner Ben, Ben plays guitar, Ben's apartment is Matt's from Daredevil, Ben's bar is Josie's from Daredevil, Dom/sub Undertones, F/M, Flower Shops, Grumpy Ben, Hell's Kitchen, It's definitely not slow, Knotting, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Multi, Self Esteem Issues, Smut, Spanking, To give y'all a visual here, maine, medium burn?, minor hair pulling, seriously, use safe words
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-11
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2019-05-21 04:50:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 29,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14908667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raptorginger/pseuds/raptorginger
Summary: Ben Solo is the grumpy Alpha owner of First Order Bar.  One night, a group of people walk in who don't send his blood pressure through the roof.  Among them is Rey, an Omega art/business student at Columbia.  The circumstances of her past have suppressed Rey's heat, and she only faintly presents as an Omega, but not to Ben.  While seeing her safely back home, Rey touches him and something triggers...





	1. Uptown Girls (and Boys)

Ben was pretty sure he hated them-the groups of rich, entitled college and private school kids from the nicer parts of town that thought they’d “slum it” for the night by hitting up his bar. Yeah, First Order wasn’t in the nicest part of the city; you definitely needed a cab after the street lights came on. But, his regulars were respectable, hard working people that just wanted a drink to unwind after a tough week cranking out 50 to 60 hours at wherever-the-hell paid them such shit they had to work that much just to get by in this city. They didn’t need a bunch of loud yuppie kids on blockers coming in and exclaiming “how authentic” it all was and interrogating them about how “real” their lives were. 

Unfortunately for Ben, his partner Armitage Hux thought these were the groups First Order should be focused on actually attracting, not turning away. 

“The city’s changing, Solo. we need to change with it,” Hux would proselytize at length while they were cleaning up after closing or at his staff meetings. 

Ben would moan and groan, but deep down he knew Hux was right. Hux knew his shit and could read the trends better than anyone Ben knew, which is why he put up with him. Thanks to the efforts of a few “well meaning” politicians, Hugo Snoke among them, large parts of Coruscant were undergoing major changes. Gentrification, they called it. Despite reassurances from the politicians and the overly wealthy, people like his regulars found themselves pushed out of their homes and, sooner or later, their jobs when they couldn’t cope with the commute. Business owners like Ben had to either adapt to the new clientele in order to afford rent or get out. Ben was finding it harder and harder to keep his father’s vision for First Order alive as the city changed drastically around it.

Maybe that’s why he couldn’t stand these kids, he mused as he wiped the counter. They represented the changes intruding on his way of life, changing his bar and his city into something he didn’t recognize. Something sterile and clean with no rough edges. A cackling sound broke his musing, and he scowled at a group of drunkish twenty-somethings making their way out. An Alpha and her Betas, just starting blockers. They were shrieking like banshees after a couple vodka cranberries. _No_ , he thought, _I hate them because they’re obnoxious and order shit drinks_. And their scent, faint to him as it was. They all smelled the same, blockers or not. Alpha, Beta, Omega it didn’t matter. He hated it. 

He was still scowling when another group made their way through the scarred wooden door. There were five of them, but they were quiet, thank God. The swarthy wavy haired fellow and the tall heavy set man with a beard, both Alphas Ben could just tell, seemed around his age-just over thirty, but the other three seemed a bit younger. A black guy with a perpetually serious face was helping one of his female companions with her coat, a diminutive but fiesty looking blonde. Ben sniffed. A Beta and an Omega. He turned to help the lithe brunette beside him, but she sided stepped him.

The brunette batted the guy’s hands away, saying in an adorable British accent, “I got my own coat , Finn, sheesh. Sit down.”

The guy held his hands up in mock defense, “Alright alright! Just trying to be gentlemanly. Calm down, Rey.”

The one called Rey rolled her eyes and hung her coat and scarf up on the peg of the booth they’d chosen. Her scent floated over to Ben. He took a deep inhale. _Holy shit_. 

“She’s pretty, if you like that type--dancer-ish,” Hux whispered beside him.

“What?” Ben replied, jumping slightly. He hadn’t heard Hux sidle up next to him.

“You’ve been staring at her since she walked in,” Hux said with a smirk.

Ben elbowed him. “Have not. Just trying to size them up to see how high they’ll send my blood pressure,” Ben grumbled. He had NOT been staring her, he told himself. Even if she was pretty. And she smelled fan-fucking-tastic. And her skinny jeans and fitted tunic tee hugged her toned figure in a very distracting way. She did look like a ballet dancer.

Hux rolled his eyes. “Whatever, Scent Sniffer. I’ll be in the back office if you need me.”

Ben frowned at the insult, but returned to filling drinks and wiping his counter. Hux was on blockers, so the scents of others didn’t bother him like they did Ben, and he barely gave off his own. Hux often asked Ben why he didn’t go on blockers if he hated the scents of others so much, but Ben would shrug him off. He felt like taking them would just hide too much. Ben’s sense of smell was incredibly keen, and while it was annoying generally, it was also really helpful at times. Hux had often stated that he’d never met another person who could _smell_ a lie. 

He saw Rose heading over to take their order. She was one of the few students he could stand. A sweet Beta, she was a hard worker and dedicated to her studies in engineering. Ben raised brow as he saw her throw up her arms and squeal. The two older guys got up and embraced her in a massive bear hug, lifting her off the floor. When Rose finally freed herself, she scribbled down their order and ran up to him.

“Ben!” Rose said breathlessly.

“What?” Ben replied, mimicking her tone. She carried their Alpha scents with her, masking her normally summery grass smell. Ben grimaced.

Rose shrugged apologetically. She knew Ben was sensitive to smell. “Don’t make fun. Those are my friends from school. Would you mind if I took my break now to catch up?”

Ben looked around. It was pretty dead. He shrugged, “Sure. Fifteen minutes. Give me your slip. I’ll bring the order over.”

Rose beamed at him. “Thanks, Boss!” She handed him the slip and scurried over to the booth, pulling up an empty chair.

Ben began pulling taps and mixing drinks. It was an eclectic mix-a porter, an IPA, a PBR, a Tom Collins with mint, and a seven and seven. He grabbed a water for Rose as he made his way over. He prided himself on his ability to match drink to patron, but in this case he was stumped. He handed Rose the water and placed the others on the table, making note of who took what. The bearded guy took the IPA, the pirate the porter, the black guy the PBR, the blonde the seven and seven, and that left…

“That’s mine,” said the brunette, Rey, as she looked up with a smile to take the glass from his hand. From here, her scent overwhelmed him, musky and floral beneath her perfume. _Omega. Her._ Their fingers brushed as she took the glass from him. Ben’s dark eyes met hers when he felt a warm sensation spread out from where her fingers met his. _She has beautiful eyes_ , he thought. Hazel, the word for that undefinable grey, green, brown. Her smile faltered a bit, and she blushed faintly, making her smattering of freckles stand out, even in the dim bar light. He let go of the glass, maybe a moment after he should have. She bit her lower lip, worrying it with her teeth. Ben’s eyes shot to her pretty pink mouth. Another wave of her scent hit him hard. Ben swore he could _feel_ his pupils dilate. _That’s mine._

_Whoa, that was...new._ He’d never felt that need to claim and possess and everything that came with those feelings. He might look like a stereotypical Alpha, large and broad and just _big_ , but he’d never felt the need to do _that_ like other Alphas, even during his ruts. Her scent almost called to him in that primal way that made people like Hux and other rich trendsetters want to take pheromone blockers. They supposedly quelled those more primal instincts. As Rey’s scent enveloped Ben, he wondered why on earth anyone would want to avoid something so beautiful. 

Ben cleared his throat. “Let me know if you need anything else,” he mumbled before he turned back to the bar.

“Thanks again, Boss!” Rose called out.

For the next fifteen minutes, Ben worked very diligently trying to clean an invisible spot at the bar, sneaking glances at Rey now and then. He couldn’t stop looking at her. He wasn’t usually drawn to women like her, or women or men at all, really. He’d experimented with both in the past during his ruts, just to see, but he came to the conclusion that people in general just put him off. So now, he’d just jerk off and go boxing or something else brutally physical once a month for a few days. But something about her, she was different, and it wasn’t just because she was pretty and smelled fantastic to him. He wanted to know her. Find out her hopes and dreams. What she liked, what scared her. _God, this is pathetic_ , he thought. He scrubbed at the invisible spot harder. 

“‘Out, out damned spot,’” he muttered under his breath.


	2. Draw Me Like One of Your Hell's Kitchen Boys

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am super nervous about this chapter. I wasn't in the greatest headspace when I wrote parts of it, as everything is pretty bumpy right now in raptorginger-land (back to work from medical leave, balancing all the things, family death, etc), but writing is super therapeutic for me.
> 
> I imagine Rey smelling like [this](https://margotelena.com/collections/lollia-home-fragrance/products/velvet-as-night-poetic-license-candle) and Ben smelling like [this](https://www.skincarebyalana.com/tokyo-milk-poe-s-tobacco-parfum.html), which unfortunately Margot Elena does not make anymore
> 
> Thank you for all the love you've given me so far! You are all angels :O)

Rey didn’t want to go to First Order tonight. Snap and Poe had talked their significant others-their mates, even if they didn’t want to admit it, in Rey’s honest opinion- Kaydel and Finn into it, which meant Rey had to go too for some reason. Their roommate Rose worked there part time and said it was pretty cool, as if that was any reassurance.

“You have to come!” Kaydel had proclaimed, fastening a hairpin to one of her buns.

Rey, who had been working on sketching the apartment Orchid (and quite content in her lazy clothes if you please), rolled her eyes. “I most certainly do not,” Rey scoffed. “I’ll be a fifth wheel.”

“Rose is working tonight,” Finn offered, tugging on a sweater. “She’ll want to say hi.”

“I can say ‘hi’ to Rose tomorrow when I see her on campus at work or when she gets home,” Rey muttered as she sketched, her pencil skritching across the paper trying to capture the Orchid’s delicate lines. “And that doesn’t address the whole ‘fifth wheel’ thing.”

Kaydel rolled her eyes. “You could have any guy on campus, Rey, and you know it. You could literally stick your head out the window right now, say you needed a date, and they’d come running.”

Rey frowned. Kaydel didn’t know what she was talking about. Rey knew she wasn’t anything special. She had plain brown hair, currently held haphazardly in a three bun style, murky hazel eyes, and freckles. Worst of all, she had no figure to speak of. The only reason those guys would come running is because she was an Omega who never had a heat. Years of malnourishment and a dangerous environment had seen to that. And she was a virgin. Rey swore they could smell it. She had actually thought she was a Beta like Finn and Rose until she got here and Kaydel, an Omega, dragged her to the campus doctor to get suppressants with her, despite Rey’s protests that she didn’t need them, she was a Beta. The doctor had confirmed that Kaydel was right, Rey was an Omega. However, the doctor had told her that there was no way she would go into heat on her own at this point, so there was no reason for her to go on suppressants. Rey would have to come into contact with an Alpha who shared a rare genetic marker with her according to the doctor, and Rey didn’t make a habit of going around and rubbing up on strange Alphas.

Rey harrumphed. Alphas always thought they could “fix” her if they knotted her, like they knew better than the doctor. As if she’d let some rando knot her. They always found the fact that she was a virgin exciting too, for some reason. Probably that whole Alpha claim/possess mentality thing. They were such arseholes.

“And Rose says her boss, Ben I think she said, is hot,” Finn added helpfully. “Like, he’s got that whole sexy brooding thing going on. And she says he’s built and probably has a huge…”

“Finn!” Rey cut him off, mortified, “I don’t need the guy’s goddamn measurements! And brooding just means he’s an arsehole, but he’s hot enough to get away with it.” _Damn Alphas._

Finn rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Just come with us, ok? You haven’t been anywhere besides campus and the apartment for weeks.”

Rey resented that. She’d been to Blick for sketch pads and Copics. And it was nice to have the apartment to herself. With Rose either in class or working and Kaydel and Finn spending all their free time with Snap and Poe, Rey had been able to blare music and sketch to her heart’s content. She’d even sketched some designs for the florist shop she wanted to open one day. Not here. Somewhere she didn’t have to live with three other people and sleep in a bunk bed to afford a one bedroom apartment. Somewhere in Maine maybe. Where there was lots of green. And she might run into Stephen King. That would be so cool...

Kaydel snapped her fingers. “Earth to Rey. Come in, Rey,” she teased.

Rey shook her head, clearing away her daydream. She’d been doing that a lot lately. As she approached her senior year at Columbia (on a scholarship and grants, thank you very much), she found herself daydreaming more and more of what she would make of her life once she was done. The times her friends were home, they found her zoned out, staring off into middle distance. Rey would barely register when they came and left, leaving her to her reveries. Maybe Kaydel and Finn were right. She needed a change of scenery.

Groaning, she unfolded herself from the floor, stretched her sore limbs and muttered, “Fine, you win. I’ll be out in five.”

She heard Finn and Kaydel high five behind her. She flipped them her middle finger as she made her way into the room they all shared. She tugged on some dark wash skinny jeans, a light grey tunic tee, and a dark brown suede jacket. She brushed her hair out and twisted it into a low side bun. She decided to forego makeup as the bar was probably dimly lit anyway. Satisfied she looked presentable enough, she slipped on a pair of gold metallic ballet flats, grabbed her ancient messenger bag, throwing in a couple pens, pencils, and a sketch pad and met her friends at the door where they headed out into the night.

***

Rey arched a brow when they finally arrived (the subway ride had taken for-ehhh-ver) at a dingy looking bar in Hell’s Kitchen and a gaggle of screeching blondes came tumbling out of the door. They drunkenly glanced at Rey and snickered. Rey scowled. She may as well be wearing a sign. She sighed.

‘First Order,’ the neon sign in the window proclaimed. Poe and Snap were standing outside, waiting and waving. Kaydel and Finn hurried over, Rey slowly bringing up the rear. Following everyone inside, Rey found she was right; the lighting was your typical bar type dim. The overall look of it was worn out but comforting. The handful of people seated at the bar and in the booths seemed much the same to Rey. Tired men and women just trying to enjoy a drink before they went home to families, pets, or nothing in particular, but good people all. Rey was pretty sure the only reason they were here was because Rose worked here. This was not the kind of place Poe and Snap would pick on their own. The place and the people gave off an almost sepulcher type feel, like you had to be quiet when you were inside or else. Rey was shocked that the shrieky blondes hadn’t burst into flames.

Glancing behind the bar, Rey changed her mind. She was shocked the large Alpha behind the counter hadn’t strangled them all. He was glaring at them; gauging them to see how much they’d bother him and his customers maybe. Despite the glare, his face was handsome in an angular sort of way, pale with a few moles scattered here and there. A distinctive scar ran across one side of his face. His hair was thick, dark, and looked very soft. His large hands were braced on the counter, his flannel shirt stretched over his broad shoulders. The shirt sleeves were rolled up, revealing strong looking forearms. Rey swallowed thickly as she caught a hint of his scent. Pipe tobacco and tea with a bit of a warm wood smell. _Male. Alpha. Oh my God he smells good_ , Rey thought. She’d been so distracted by it, by him, she snapped at Finn when he tried to help her with her jacket, like he’d intruded on her when she thought she was alone in the apartment and had her hand down her pants or something. With a few exceptions, half the Alphas she knew were on blockers or suppressants, so they didn’t smell like much of anything, and the other half who weren’t were toxic MRA dude-bros and smelled horrible to her, like they’d bathed in aftershave or Drakkar Noir. He was different.

She took her seat in the booth Poe and Snap chose, plopping her bag next to her against the wall. She took out her sketchbook and a pencil and held it in her lap, at the ready as always. She was vaguely aware of Rose rushing up and excitedly chattering with everyone, ordering a Tom Collins with mint, and trading disinterested hums and hmms with the table. She kept stealing surreptitious glances at the Alpha behind the bar, Rose’s hot boss Ben she presumed by the way she was talking to him now.

Rey hurriedly glanced away when the subject of her investigation made his way to the table with their drinks. His nearness and his scent drove everything else from her mind. She looked up at him, his dark brown eyes warm and surprisingly kind until they dilated into pools of inky black, staring at her like she was the only other person in the world. She was vaguely aware of saying something to him, but she couldn’t hear herself properly. _God I hope I don’t sound like an idiot._ Her blood raced when his fingers brushed hers. There was no way in Hell everyone around them hadn’t smelled her react to him, and she couldn’t be bothered to care. Rey wanted to be surrounded by his scent. _By him._ She wanted things she didn’t even have words for. Then, he mumbled something and was gone. _Good job, idiot. The first Alpha you’re attracted to ever, and you scare him off by being an Omega ninny._

Rey shook her head and spent several minutes trying to bring herself back down to Earth. She picked up her sketchbook and started sketching one of the patrons at the bar. An older man, he was bent over his pint, his back a neat curve and his shoulders slumped, the result of several years on the line, Rey figured. She worked quickly, finishing the rough sketch. Turning the page, she began again, and a handsomely angular face began to take shape with moles here and there. Thick hair that just begged to be touched. A plush mouth made for kissing and indecent things. Kind eyes.

***

Rey only became aware that she was alone when the screech of a microphone drew her out of her sketch induced trance. She looked around, bewildered, catching Rose’s attention. Rose had gone back to work, but hurried over and explained that the others had left about twenty minutes ago. Rose’s heightened color told Rey all she needed to know about what they had left for. Rey checked her phone. Midnight.

Rey sighed, used to being left alone. “What’s with the microphone?” she asked Rose, changing the topic.

“Oh! Open mic night!” Rose said enthusiastically, glad to have moved on from their friends’ sexual goings on.

“Really? This doesn’t strike me as the ‘open mic night’ type of place,” Rey said.

“It’s less like karaoke night and more like that song ‘Piano Man,’” Rose explained.

“Ahh. A bit depressing isn’t it?”

Rose shrugged, “It can be, but these people aren’t really here because they’re looking to dance to Katy Perry, you know?” She lowered her voice, “If we’re really lucky, one of the regulars get Ben to sing.”

Before Rey could respond, a voice roughed by years of cigarettes cried out, “Rosie!”

Rey offered a smile in response as Rose hurried back to work. Rey went back to work on her sketches. She was working on one of Ben standing at the bar and talking to a patron. He had a habit of leaning toward people when they spoke to him, giving them his full attention. Something the patron had said made Ben smile, and Rey just about melted on the spot. She knew she just had to get that on paper before the ephemeral image fled her mind. In all of her sneaking glances, she never once caught him looking back, but she swore she saw him just as he was turning his gaze away from her. All of the sudden, the crests of his cheeks were turning red, and patron giving his arm a friendly shake, as if entreating him. Chants and pleas started coming from around the bar.

“Come on, Solo!”

“‘Play it, Sam!’”

“Please? It’s been a long week!”

Rey found Rose and raised a brow. Rose winked. _Lucky indeed._ Rey watched as Ben walked sheepishly out from behind the bar, hands stuffed in his pockets, to cheers and whistles. He sat on the stool behind the microphone in the corner of the bar, picking a guitar that had been placed there. He gave it a few strums before he broke into a rendition of Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Boxer.” 

>   
>  I am just a poor boy  
> Though my story's seldom told  
> I have squandered my resistance  
> For a pocket full of mumbles, such are promises  
> All lies and jests  
> Still a man hears what he wants to hear  
> And disregards the rest...  
> 

The bar quieted, many of the patrons resting their heads against the palms of their hands as they listened to Ben, his voice like a roll of warm thunder as his long fingers strummed and danced across the frets of the guitar. The atmosphere seemed to change, becoming sweet and melancholy, but that kind of melancholy that makes a person feel warm and content. A strange but heady feeling. For her part, Rey found herself leaning toward him over the top of the booth, drawn to him like a moth to a warm flame. She stared at him unabashedly, a faint smile on her lips. He looked at her then, his eyes full of something Rey couldn’t identify. His color heightened slightly, his voice lowered a hint. His scent washed over her. She found herself blushing and looking away turning back around and sitting back in her seat, not used to being stared at so intensely. She pressed her thighs together, where an uncomfortable sensation had appeared. Rey was mortified to realize she was aroused. _What is happening? Time to go before you make a fool of yourself. Again._

Rey was stuffing her things back into her bag as Ben finished his song. The clapping and cheers resumed as Ben walked away from the microphone. She needed to get out of here. Thank God Rose’s shift was over, and they could go home together. She realized she was panicking. This wasn’t like her. She didn’t get aroused by Alphas like this. Or ever. She turned to leave when she almost ran smack into the man currently causing the maelstrom of emotions inside her. His scent hit her like a fist and she staggered back. Ben reached out and grabbed her elbow to steady her, thinking he’d thrown her off balance.

“Rey isn’t it? I’m Ben” he asked in that rumbly voice of his.

Rey could only nod. Her skin burned where he touched her, even through her jacket. She was pretty sure her voice would come out as a squeak if she tried to talk right now. _Get a grip, Johnson, she thought to herself. He’s only an Alpha. Yeah, and you’re an Omega,_ a tiny part of her mind she didn’t realize was there argued back.

Rey cleared her throat, “Yes, that’s me. Why are you asking?” Rey tugged her arm from his grasp. She was probably coming off ruder than she intended, but God did she need out of here.

“You’re one of Rose’s roommates aren’t you?” he asked, cocking his head to the side a bit, his expression changing from heated to carefully neutral.

“Yeah…”

“She wanted me to tell you that she’s heading over to her sister’s for the night, so she can’t go back to the apartment with you.”

“Oh,” Rey said softly. She didn’t fancy riding the subway back to Morningside by herself, but she was an adult with a knife in her bag. She could do this. He didn’t need to know she was terrified. _Protect me, Alpha._

His nostrils flared. “Do you,” Ben rubbed the back of his neck, “Do you need someone to go with you?”

“I’m perfectly capable of getting home by myself, thanks,” she replied primly, trying to quell the voice of the tiny brain that had suddenly found life inside her head.

“Rose has mentioned how far it is a few times. Hux can close up. Let me go with you,” Ben said, his voice gentle, but no less commanding.

_Yes, Alpha._ “I’ll be fine.”

“Rey, let me go with you” Ben’s voice had lowered again, triggering something deep inside Rey that compelled her to obey. _Obey your Alpha._ It scared her. She shivered, averting her gaze, holding her arms tightly around her. _What the fuck just happened?_ Ben’s eyes widened slightly and he took a step back. “Please,” his voice normal again. “Rose said she’d kill me if something happened to you. She feels bad.”

Rey chanced a glance up. Ben looked apologetic and slightly confused himself. “Ok,” she whispered.

***

It was a long subway ride back. Rey couldn’t help but be aware of Ben, he was so close. So big. It calmed her. She felt safe with him, like he would protect her from everything. She realized that was ridiculous. They didn’t know each other at all and probably wouldn’t see each other again. Still, Rey figured there was no harm in enjoying the feeling while it lasted. She leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes and hugging her bag to her.

“What’s in there?” she heard Ben ask.

“Hmm?” Rey murmured opening her eyes. She hadn’t realized how tired she was.

“In your bag. I saw you sketching earlier.”

“Then why are you asking? You seem to already know,” Rey replied teasingly.

Ben blushed faintly. “Could you show me?”

It was Rey’s turn to blush. She didn’t usually have a problem showing people her work, but considering he’d been her unknowing subject all night, things were a bit different. Luckily, she had some of her floral sketches in this book as well, so she could show him those. She pulled out the tattered book, gingerly handing it over.

Ben opened it and Rey smiled proudly as his jaw went slack. “These are beautiful, Rey,” he said with awe as he reverently traced one of her sketches with his fingertips.

“Thanks, I’m an Art major. I specialize in botanical drawing.” As always when the subject was brought up, Rey began to babble, telling him about her schoolwork and her plan of opening a shop. Rey got so wrapped up, she didn’t see how far into the book he’d gotten until she saw him turn bright red.

“Oh my God, give that back! You weren’t supposed to see those!” she shrieked quietly, not wanting to wake the bum in the seat nearby. She reached for her book, but Ben held it out of reach.

“Is this me?” he asked softly.

Rey felt herself go scarlet and she hid her face in her hands. “Yes,” she squeaked out between her fingers. “I’m so sorry.”

Ben was quiet. “I...I don’t...” Rey could tell he had no idea what to say. He was probably furious with her. _Presumptuous Omega, how dare you._ She didn’t think she could bear to tear up the sketches if that’s what he wanted. She wanted them to remember him by because there was no way she could see him again without dying of embarrassment. “Don’t be sorry. They’re really...umm...good,” he murmured.

“What? You’re not mad?”

He surprised her by laughing. “Mad? No! Embarrassed maybe. I...I guess it’s kind of...flattering.”

Rey had to laugh, they were both so red faced. Ben gave her a crooked smile, his warm eyes trained on her mouth, and she quieted, warmth suffusing her. His eyes went black again, and Ben looked away, picking a spot on the opposite bench to stare at.

Rey looked away. “Sorry again. It’s just a habit. You just…have kind eyes” she shrugged helplessly. She had no idea what to tell him that wouldn’t sound ridiculous. _I’m sorry, I just HAD to sketch you because I find you ridiculously good looking and your Alpha scent does things to me that I can’t talk about on the subway. Yeah, that’ll go over REAL well._

Ben arched a brow at her, like she surprised him. It was his turn to shrug. “You do you as the kids say.”

Rey laughed again. “Kids? What are you, 80?”

“32.”

“How does a 32 year old own a bar that looks at least 100?”

“It was my dad’s,” Ben’s tone held a hint of warning and sadness telling Rey not to press further.

Rey fell silent, listening to the clicking and clacking of the train as it flew. Before she knew it, they reached her stop.

“Well, this is my stop,” she said rising slowly, stretching as she exited. Ben followed her off the car. She expected him to stay and wait for the car going the opposite direction, but he continued to follow her.

“Umm, don’t you live that way?” she asked, pointing at the subway sing for the train going back to Hell’s Kitchen. She assumed he lived above his bar. The building had looked like there was a loft above it.

“Yeah,” Ben said gruffly, continuing to follow her. “But you don’t live in a subway terminal do you?”

“Umm, no I guess I don’t,” she muttered. He was walking her all the way home. She eyed an overly handsy drunk nearby and was secretly grateful. _Yes, Alpha. Protect me. Shut up, hindbrain!_ she argued with herself.

“Will you be alright getting back by yourself?” Rey asked jokingly as they made their way towards her apartment. She’d like to see some junkie try to jump Ben and get his ass handed to him.

“I think so. Unlike you, most people see a typical aggressive Alpha when they look at me.” He was looking at her intensely again. Rey fidgeted with the strap of her bag, unable to meet his gaze. He looked away, seeming angry for some reason.

They walked in silence for what seemed like an eternity for the few remaining blocks until they reached the apartment.

“This is me,” Rey said softly, turning towards him but still fidgeting. “Thanks for seeing me home.”

“No problem. Like I said, Rose would kill me if anything happened to you.”

“Of course.” Of course he was just seeing her home as a favor to a friend. Nothing more than that. Why was she so disappointed? _Damn hindbrain._

Ben opened his mouth to say something when the crash of a garbage can in the alley resounded in the night air. Rey jumped a little, seeing that it was only a stray cat, but Ben sprang. Rey yelped as he used one strong arm to yank her behind him, holding it out protectively as he held the other up in a defensive position in front of his chest. She could feel the energy radiating off him and hear how fast his breathing was.

She stepped around him deftly so she was standing between him and the offending noise. “Ben, it was only a cat,” she said gently, holding her hands out. His arms lowered, but he was still tense, staring over her shoulder into the dark. Rey instinctually closed the distance between them and put her hands on either side of his neck where it met his shoulders, over his glands. She pressed her thumbs in, rubbing gently, whispering his name until he looked at her.

Slowly, he lowered his head until he was hovering just beside her ear. Rey heard him inhale deeply, and another wave of his scent enveloped her as his warm breath ghosted over the gland in her neck. Her knees shook as she felt one of his large hands rest on her hip and the other palm her back beneath her jacket, rubbing up. She gasped when the tips of his fingers reached the edge of her mating gland between her shoulder blades. All of the sudden, this felt indecent, like they shouldn’t be on the sidewalk doing this.

“Ben.” It came out as a moan, she was mortified to realize.

“Oh my God!” Ben cried, jumping back like she was on fire. Like he couldn’t stand to touch her a second longer. Like she repelled him. “I’m so sorry, Rey.”

Rey was mourning the loss of his warmth, the headiness of his scent when he was close to her. She held her arms protectively over herself. She remained silent, knowing that she shouldn’t have touched him, shouldn’t have allowed him to touch her like that, and wanting nothing more than his hands back on her. She felt so confused, aroused, and hurt.

“Rey, please look at me,” Ben implored.

Rey couldn’t. She realized there were tears in her eyes. She hated herself. She’d acted like such a fool tonight. Like the needy Omega she promised herself she’d never be. She felt sick and hot all over.

“Goodnight, Ben,” she managed to choke out as she ran into the building. She ran all the way up the three flights of stairs, ramming her key in the deadbolt and then the lock, and slamming the door shut. She threw her back against it, hot, angry tears streaming down her face. She slid down until she hit the hard floor, resting her forehead against her knees.

_What the ever-loving Hell was that?_


	3. The Red and The Black

“GOD-FUCKING-DAMMIT!”

“Whoa! Hey, Dude, I’m driving here!”

“Sorry,” Ben muttered to the offended cabbie. Rather than enduring another long subway ride, and this one without Rey’s calming presence beside him, Ben had gotten a cab. In deference to the man trying to navigate New York’s wild streets, Ben stewed in silence.

“Hey Man, whatever it is can’t be that bad. You’re killing me with that glare.”

“An extra $20 if you keep your damn mouth shut until we get to 47th and 10th.”

The cabbie made a zipping motion across his mouth.

Ben slammed his head back against the seat’s headrest, the resulting pain almost welcome. Why couldn’t he act like a goddamn normal person? _Hey, I think you’re cute and I’d like to buy you a coffee or a beer if you’re up for that. Oh no, not you, Ben Solo._ His “Alpha-ness,” as it were, obviously made Rey uncomfortable, the way she kept blushing and not meeting his gaze, her fidgeting. Every Alpha she came across probably treated her like an object; it was sadly common of Alphas to treat Omegas that way. In addition, the scent Rey gave off, all innocent and unclaimed, was like an Alpha siren song. And Ben was no better. He’d even let an Alpha command slip out. _Jesus Christ, what is wrong with you?_ God, why couldn’t he just have pretended she was like any other human he’d ever met and ignored her?

He’d tried. He really had after he’d brushed her hand and almost had to leave, but the way he’d catch her looking at him, trying so hard to pretend she hadn’t been, was both endearing and a turn on. Then later, when she’d watched unabashedly as he sang, smiling so warmly, his long neglected heart beat a little faster as his other long neglected parts got a bit harder. And then Rose had to go and ask him to make sure Rey got home okay while she went to her “sister’s.” Yeah, right. As if Ben couldn’t smell Poe and Finn (as he now knew they were called) on her every time she came in. That had done it. It triggered that primal Alpha instinct in him to protect his Omega. Well, not his. She obviously couldn’t stand him. 

And then he’d touched her. _There._ After acting like a fucking guard dog. It was true, she’d touched him too, but she hadn’t seemed to be aware of what she was doing. Ben had been fully aware. She’d instinctively tried to calm him, and he’d had to go and...do that. Something he’d had no right to do. No wonder she’d started crying and run. _Who touches a random Omega’s mating gland without her permission? Only you, you asshole Alpha. You’re no different than the rest of them._ He let out a frustrated groan and banged his head a couple more times. _Stupid, arrogant Alpha._

He tried to focus his breathing as the cab drove, hoping it would calm his anger. It worked a little, since he no longer felt murderous when they finally reached First Order. Ben handed the cabbie a wad of cash, throwing in an extra $20 liked he’d promised. The cabbie gave him a salute and sped off. Ben stalked up the stairs angrily to his loft, slamming the door shut and proceeded to overthrow his heavy coffee table. It made a very satisfying thud on the hard floor. Since he could tell sleep would not be coming, he changed clothes and taped up his hands, stomping up the stairs that led to the roof. The cold early autumn air was bracing and helped clear his head. But, he swore he could still smell Rey as he began to throw punch after punch at the Everlast bag hanging beneath the old disused water tower.

***

Ben was in a foul mood the next day. He could feel his rut coming on, and it was early. _Goddammit._ He broke at least five plates and ten glasses before Hux sent him upstairs to his loft. 

“Break your own shit. Take your leave. You’re already being insufferable anyway,” Hux said pointing resolutely out the door. Hux knew Ben longer than anyone and could tell when Ben’s ruts were coming on.

Ben _almost_ punched him, but he liked Hux, so he checked himself. “Fine, but don’t turn the place into some hipster joint while I’m gone,” he snarled.

He stomped towards the door, fully intending to go another few rounds with his trusty old punching bag when Rose came up to him, worry written on her face. She was holding the bar’s cordless phone in her hand.

“Rose, I’m not in a great mood,” he growled.

Rose winced but did not move. “It’s Rey. She wants...needs to talk to you,” Rose whispered.

Ben’s mood lifted slightly, but he felt apprehensive. Why would she need to talk to him? Probably to chew him out for touching her last night. “Is something wrong?”

“I..., look, just talk to her, ok?” Rose shoved the phone in his hand and went back to work, clearly uncomfortable talking about whatever this was to her boss.

Ben put the phone gingerly to his ear. “Hullo?”

“Ben?” Rey’s voice was a whimper. 

“Rey, what’s wrong?” he asked. His heart started racing, he felt his muscles tense. Something was wrong. Something was scaring his Omega. _No, not yours, moron_. “Tell me.”

“I think...I think I’m in heat,” she wailed. “It hurts. Everything hurts. I don’t know what’s happening. Help me, please.”

 _Holy shit._ “Rey, I need you to make sure your apartment door is locked. And then I want you to get in the shower and run it cold, okay? I’m coming to get you. Just hang on.” His voice had dropped an octave. Not using an Alpha command hadn’t even occurred to him. He had to get to her, and he needed to know she’d be safe until he got there.

“You’re coming to get me?” she murmured, almost disbelieving. It broke Ben’s heart. How many people in her life had let her down? Not been there when she’d needed them?

“Of course, Sweetheart,” he replied gently.

He heard her whimper an assent, and the line went dead. He ran to Rose and grabbed her arm none too gently.

“Rey’s in heat. Give me your apartment keys,” he commanded.

Rose’s eyes went wide, and she obeyed without hesitation. Whatever she saw there had definitely scared her. 

Rose chewed her lip nervously, having some internal debate with herself. “Ben...there’s something you need to know. About Rey. This is something that should probably come from her, and she’ll probably kill me for telling you, but...”

“Spit it out, Tico.”

“She’s never...had one. A heat I mean. And she’s never…” Rose petered off as she saw Ben’s expression change from impatient to dumbfounded. 

“Don’t hurt my friend, Ben,” Rose said, her voice a dangerous whisper. 

Ben had no idea how to respond to any of that, so he gave her a curt nod and ran out the door. _Your Omega needs you._

________________

Rey tossed and turned all night. The little pinpricks of fire she’d felt after she’d had her little crying jag on the floor became full on flames by now. She felt hollow and empty, her head pounding. Her skin burned anytime something brushed it. She was alone in the apartment, no surprise there, so she tore off all her clothes save a bra and underwear. She wasn’t one of those people who could walk around willy nilly naked. She staggered to the kitchen and managed to choke down a few sips of water. The thought of eating anything made her want to throw up, so she didn’t bother. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was after noon. _Ugh, why do I feel like I got hit by a truck?_

She stood in the kitchen with her hands braced on the counter, trying to get a hold of herself. It was then that she realized she was soaking wet, slick heat coating her inner thighs. Her core was screaming for...something. She let out a tortured groan as she reached her fingers beneath her underwear, trying to get relief. It wasn’t working until an image of Ben filled her mind, and she imagined it was him doing this to her. Doing more. But it wasn’t enough. She yanked her fingers away, shocked she’d done this in her _kitchen_. She started to panic, frightened tears falling from her eyes. She stumbled back to her bedroom, reaching for her phone and opening the Chrome app.

She had no idea what was happening to her. Ben’s image popped into her mind again. _That’s it, let your Alpha take care of you, little Omega,_ the voice said, not so little anymore. _You need him. Need him to fuck you. Knot you. Fill you. Claim you._ Rey whimpered, terrified. Instead of Googling her symptoms, she Googled First Order instead, tapping the number before she lost her nerve.

Rose answered after a few rings. “First Order Bar!” her chipper voice said.

“Rose? It’s Rey,” she said, her voice cracking from the effort to hold back her sobs.

“Rey? Honey, what’s wrong? Are you ok? Ben said he made sure you got home alright. I’m sorry I couldn’t go with you,” Rose rambled.

A small sound came out of Rey at the mention of Ben’s name. “Rose, I think… I think I need to talk to Ben. Something is happening to me...I think...I’m in heat,” Rey managed to choke out between sobs.

“What?! Oh my God. I thought that couldn’t happen unless…” Rose looked at Ben. He was looking daggers at Hux as Hux was pointing to the door.

“Rose, is...is Ben there?”

“Oh, Rey,” Rose said sympathetically. Ben was a good boss, but he was a mercurial person. Her heart swelled with worry for her friend, but she knew that’s not what Rey needed right now. And if the broken plates and glasses in the trash were any indication, Ben needed Rey as much as she needed him. As a Beta, Rose didn’t have to go through this, but she knew the mechanics of it. Poe was an Alpha after all. “Hang on, Sweetie I’ll get him. Just hang on.”

Rey waited while Rose got Ben on the phone. She could hear both their voices, muffled by Rose’s hand over the receiver.

“...Look, just talk to her, okay?” she heard Rose implore. Oh God, he wouldn’t come to her. He didn’t want to even talk to her. Rey started crying again.

“Hullo?” Ben’s deep voice soothed Rey’s frazzled nerves a little. She felt another wave of wetness soak her underwear. _Alpha, please._

“Ben?” she whimpered. She sounded pathetic. She was going to hate herself when this was all over, but she had no power over biology right now.

“Rey, what’s wrong?” _I need you, Alpha._

Rey was aware she was wailing into the phone, telling him she thought she was in heat, that she needed help.

The voice that replied was still Ben’s but it was deeper, commanding, telling her to lock the door, get in the shower. Rey had no problem obeying the Alpha command this time, but before she could, she needed him to confirm one thing for her. She couldn’t believe it; she needed to hear him say it.

“You’re coming to get me?”

“Of course, Sweetheart.”

Rey whimpered something along the lines of “okay” and hung up, heading to check the door as her Alpha commanded.


	4. Hurry Now, Lay Me Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone else find smut difficult to write? Just me? Ok
> 
> Also, a gold star to whoever gets the nerd reference mid-chapter. It's not difficult, lol

Ben drummed his fingers on his thigh as the cab sped toward Rey’s apartment. Now that he was off the phone with her, he was starting to have misgivings. Well, not misgivings, really. Guilt maybe? Certainly if Rey wanted him, he’d give her whatever she needed, but… God he hoped she wanted him. His blood was crying out for her.

But, was she in her right mind? Ben knew how heats worked. He’d never seen an Omega through one; consent was dubious at best. Plus, it was just too...much, required too much of a connection for him. Ben knew some Alphas didn’t care about that, but he did. The way Rey probably felt right now, he could take what he wanted, and she would let him. But he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t be that guy, that kind of Alpha, even if every cell in his body was screaming at him to be. She would come out her heat, realize what he’d done and hate him. For some reason, the thought of that, of her loathing him for what he’d done to her, was keeping him in check. And she was a virgin. Somehow. Would she even be able to handle this? Ben wasn’t sure there was a way he could do this without hurting her. _Jesus Christ, Ben, what the fuck are you doing?_ Everything about this, about her, made him question everything.

The cab pulled up in front of Rey’s building. In the daylight, Ben could see it was a solid four story brick building, probably built in the 1800s. The windows were tall and narrow, slightly crenellated. One had a small window box with herbs and lavender growing. That had to be the one, remembering that Rey had gushed about her love of plants and growing things on the ride last night. He paid his fare and leapt out of the cab. He’d forgotten to ask Rose what apartment they lived in, but a quick glance at the mailboxes told him-3A. Rose had given him three keys. Luckily, Rose was a practical sort and put a small ‘F’ sticker on one, a sticker with ‘D’ on another, and an ‘L’ sticker on the third. Ben figured ‘front door,’ ‘deadbolt,’ and ‘lock,’ pleased to find he was right. He ran up the stairs, taking two at a time until he reached the third floor landing. All was quiet. Approaching 3A, Ben caught a hint of Rey’s scent even through the closed door. _Holy Hell._ He steeled himself as he unlocked the door, gritting his teeth as he opened it. He would NOT let his Alpha instinct take over completely. Yet. Later. Maybe. If Rey wanted.

Rey’s scent, the scent of her in heat, smacked into him, potent and intoxicating. He clenched his hands, his fingers digging into his palms, knuckles white. It was a small apartment, messy and lived in. Books and papers were strewn over every available surface. Two laptops were sitting on the couch. Every surface that didn’t have school related junk on it had a well tended potted plant on it. A few even hung from hooks in the ceiling in the corners of what could generously be called a living room. A stunning blackish purple Orchid stood proudly in the center of the small dining table among stacks of books, binders, and sketch pads.

He could hear water running somewhere. He followed the sound, walking the few paces down a small hallway to a single door, cracked open. He pushed inside, finding four beds in bunks in the small room, one only showing evidence of having recently been slept in. He didn’t need an incredible sense of smell to know it was Rey’s. He got the feeling her three roommates didn’t sleep here very often. Sketches of different plants were strewn all over the floor along with clothes and a few pairs of shoes. The clothes she had been wearing last night were crumpled near a hamper in the corner. 

Another door was cracked, the sound of a shower running coming out of it. Ben walked into the tiny bathroom and pulled back the shower curtain. His breath caught in his throat as he saw Rey, sitting naked on the floor of the tub, huddled under the freezing spray, hugging her knees to her chest. Her hair was plastered to the sides of her face and her shoulders as she stared off into middle distance. She looked pale beneath her normally golden skin. Ben inhaled. She was terrified, much more than she had been last night when she thought she was going home by herself.

“Rey,” he whispered, barely audible above the spray of the water.

She looked up at him, her eyes wide with...disbelief maybe? Like she can’t believe he’s actually there in front of her.

“You came,” she replied softly.

Ben knelt down, reaching out to grab one of her hands, grasping her cold yet hot fingers in his.

“I did,” he replied gently. He sighed and closed his eyes. “I think I already know the answer to this, but do you have anyone? Anyone you actually know who can help you through this?”

Rey looked at him, tears forming in her lovely hazel eyes, and shakes her head. “You don’t want to?”

Her question shocks him. Of course he does. Why else would he have come? It’s then that he realized that he’d completely misinterpreted her last night. He might have made her nervous, but she’d been as interested in him as he was in her. _Ben, you’re an idiot. A complete and total idiot._ He needs to say something, before she starts crying in earnest. She needs to know that he’ll take care of her; that he wants to take care of her. _Of course I want to, little Omega. I’ll soothe you, take care of you. Any way you want._

“I do. And I will. If that’s what you want. But I need you to be sure. This is going to be...rough for you.”

Rey looked away for a moment, before returning her gaze to him, bright and hungry. “When people look at me, all they see is a broken Omega. Something to be fixed. Something less than. You don’t look at me that way, Ben.” 

With every second more he spent with her, Ben realized how strong she was. It was remarkable. “Rey, I don’t want to hurt you. Your first time shouldn’t be like this, with someone you barely know.”

“With someone who cares enough to make sure I’m okay? Who actually cares if he hurts me? To most men, not just Alphas, it wouldn’t even occur to them to ask. To care. You’re right, I don’t know you well. But I want to.” Her eyes are pleading with him, begging him to soothe her, while her words act as a balm to his worries. He’d been really wrong.

 _I will, my Omega._ Ben needed to hang on a second longer though. He sighed. “Okay. But we can’t do this here. For a number of reasons. Number one being I’ll murder anyone who walks through that door. I need you to wait here for a few minutes, okay?”

Rey nodded, holding her knees tighter, and with that, Ben got up, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. He went quickly back into the bedroom, grabbing the flat sheet off Rey’s bed. He ran to the kitchen, dousing it in water and shoving it in the freezer. He then went hunting around for a bag. Finding one in the corner of the small closet, he stuffed some of her clothes and undergarments into it. Not that she’d need them the next few days, but he didn’t think she appreciate not having anything to wear when she went home. Thank God he could smell what was hers. 

That done, he called out, “Rey! I’ll be right back. I need to get a cab.” Locking the door behind him, Ben ran down the stairs and out onto the sidewalk, flagging a cab down. He gestured that he’d be right back, ran back in, grabbed the sheet from the freezer, shouldered the bag, and ran to the bathroom, stopping short when he saw Rey standing in front of him. She had used the time to dry off and dress in a simple shift dress. She looked up at him, a mix of emotions in her hazel eyes. Lust. Fear. Trust. Ben’s pupils dialated to pools of black. He wrapped the chilled sheet around her gently, bending slightly to lift her into his arms. He carried her briskly from the apartment, letting her lock it behind them.

They earned a few surprised glances as Ben walked to the cab, Rey in his arms wrapped in a sheet. He set her down, opening the door and settling her inside, laying the bag on the floor. Rey moved over so Ben could slide in beside her. He wrapped one arm around her, pulling her close.

As the cab pulled away from the curb and into traffic, the cabbie said, “Told you it couldn’t be that bad, didn’t I, Pal? 47th and 10th right?”

 _You have got to be fucking kidding me._ It was the same cabbie as last night. “Yeah.”

“Daaa-umn. I’m on blockers and even I can smell that.”

Rey huddled closer to Ben. “Choose your next words very carefully,” Ben snarled.

“Hey hey, no worries, man! I’ve been happily mated to my Leonard for 30 years! We even got married a couple years ago when it became legal.”

Ben squinted at the nameplate. “James, I will give you an extra $100 to get to First Order at 47th and 10th as fast as humanly possible. And keep the chatter to a minimum.”

James looked at Ben in the rearview mirror, glanced at Rey, gave a wink to Ben, and slammed his foot down on the accelerator. He leaned on the horn as he drove like a madman down New York’s busy streets.

***  
It had been a torturous ride. Rey smelled so good beside him, and he could tell she was trying desperately to keep her hands to herself. Despite the fact that heat was radiating off her like she was a space heater, Rey kept the damp sheet clutched tight around her, her knuckles white. Ben could smell her arousal as she kept her eyes shut and tried to focus on taking deep, even breaths. He dug his fingers into his knees, leaving deep impressions in the denim.

“Almost there,” he whispered, more to himself than Rey. She nodded, regardless. Her nostrils flared, and she squirmed in her seat. Ben had to shut his eyes then as she gave off another wave of heady scent. _Fuck. Knot. Claim. Shut up shut up shut up._ When they were about two minutes away, Ben remembered he had Rose’s keys. _Shit._

As they pulled up, James turned to them and asked Ben, “Hey, is there anything else you need, Pal?”

“Actually, yeah,” Ben replied as he handed James the money. “Can you go inside and ask for Rose. Give her these.” He handed James the keys as he opened the door. James gave him a thumbs up.

As Ben got out, Rey turned to James and said, her voice sounding for all the world like a normal woman’s, “Thank you, Mr. Kirk. Give your mate my best.” Ben had to admire her poise as he lifted her into his arms. And even though she was wearing just a bit more than a sheet sopping with sweat, water, and arousal, her posh accent made it sound like it was maybe a couture sheet.

As James stepped out, he tipped his hat to both of them, a knowing smile on his face as he made his way into First Order with Rose’s keys.

The door for Ben’s loft was off the alley. Unlocking it carefully, as his arms were currently full with a very warm Rey, he ran up the stairs, taking two at a time, making sure to kick the door shut behind them. Walking down the short foyer hallway lined with coat hooks, Ben set Rey down on her feet in his living area. His loft was more or less one large open space, very sparse in decoration and industrial in design. The few pieces of furniture he owned were modern, all angles and sharp lines and expensive. The hanging door for his bedroom was slid open, revealing a large platform bed. 

Rey blinked a few times, the realization finally setting in that she was here and that this was going to happen. She looked up at him, inches away, her dilated eyes mirroring his own. Ben reached out with one hand, gently tugging the sheet away from her. She let it go without a protest. He had no idea how she wanted to do this. The Alpha in him was screaming at him to grab her, but he held back. He could tell the Omega in her was screaming the same thing, but she held still. Ben felt himself twitch as Rey reached out, her hand shaking, tentative, and unsure. He bent his head, allowing her to brush back the locks of dark hair that had fallen over his forehead. Her touch, gentle as it was, felt like fire. 

He hissed through his teeth, “Rey, Rose told me...” _I won’t hurt you, Omega._

“Take care of me, Ben. Take care of me like only you can...Alpha,” Rey whispered, her breath coming hot over his gland.

With that, Ben’s last reserves of restraint, civility, and self control were obliterated. He grabbed her hips, jerking her against him roughly. Her gasp caused his already stiff cock to harden further. He leaned down and growled into her ear, “I can smell what I’m doing to you. I could smell you the whole way here. You’re dripping wet, aren’t you, little Omega?”

Rey responded by moaning loudly, indecently, as he ran the flat of his tongue over the gland in her neck. It was beautiful music to Ben. He slid the thin straps of her shift down past her shoulders and yanked the fabric down. He made a sound of pleasure when he saw she was naked beneath it. She flushed everywhere as he drank in the sight of her tan skin, lightly freckled in places, the slight swell of her breasts, her nipples a beautiful dusky rose, and the sheen of moisture coating the insides of her thighs. He smiled when she moaned again as he palmed one of her breasts, rolling and pinching the hardened flesh of her nipple between his fingers.

It was his turn to gasp in surprise when Rey shoved his hand away and jumped at him, throwing her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. His arms went reflexively around her, one hand pressed to her back and the other gripping her thigh. She was all smooth soft skin and taut muscle, and he couldn’t help but dig his fingers in. She bit his neck gently and licked roughly, and Ben let out a sound somewhere between a groan and a strangled cry. He had no idea if she knew what she was doing, but he got the feeling she didn’t care. He certainly didn’t. 

Ben carried Rey to the bed, tossing her onto the plush surface. She lifted herself up on her forearms, watching him, pure need in her eyes. He tore his shirt over his head, throwing it off to the side before going to work on his jeans. The strain of his erection made getting them undone tricky, but he managed to yank them off along with his boxers. He gave her a cocky half smile when he saw her eyes widen as she skimmed his body, her gaze lingering where he was red and throbbing for her.

“Will this soothe you, Omega?” he whispered as he crawled over her prone figure, caging her protectively between his arms. He saw Rey’s expression shift briefly then, her logical mind shoving her primal side down, like she would be damned if she’d let this only be the scratching of a biological itch. She looked up into his eyes, a heady mix of appreciation, trust, and a bit of fear in her own. Her lovely scent surrounded him, causing his lips to part, as if he could taste her in the air.

She reached out with trembling fingers and smoothed his hair back again. “Yes, Alpha. Ben,” she murmured.

She stunned him silent. In those brief seconds, she’d managed to completely change what this was. At least as far as he was concerned. Maybe that was why he did what he did next, something he’d never done in any of his previous couplings. He kissed her. Softly. Gently. Reverently. He felt the hum in her throat as he tentatively ran his tongue over her lower lip, urging her to open to him. Her lips parted a bit, allowing him to slip past and explore her mouth. He responded with a hum of his own, revelling in her sweet taste, as she mimicked him, her tongue shyly exploring.

He pulled back and whispered against her neck, “Wrap your legs around me, Rey. Let me give you what you need.”

She obeyed with a soft moan. Their eyes never left each other as he slowly entered her wet heat. She was so tight, so warm around him. Her scent became intoxicating. Exquisite. Ben felt drunk. Her breath was coming in pants and breathy moans as he tried to go slowly, not wanting to hurt her. Ben was shaking, the effort needed to hold back overwhelming.

“Almost there, Sweetheart. You’re doing so well,” he said gently. The endearment had just slipped out, much as it had earlier. He liked how natural it felt.

“Ben,” Rey whispered, biting her kiss swollen lip, “I need…” She flushed.

“What do you need?”

She replied by thrusting her hips upwards, meeting him the rest of the way, their twin sharp cries of pleasure echoing in the room. “I need it harder, Alpha.”

“Yes, Omega,” he growled lowly as he began to thrust in earnest. Her moans became indecent cries, the sounds of their bodies an obscene symphony. Ben could feel his knot beginning, preventing him from thrusting into her fully. He felt like a spring wound too tight.

“Ben! Alpha, please!”

A guttural, primal sound came from him as he bent down and bit her neck gently. Rey screamed as Ben felt her clench around his swollen cock and a warm burst of her slick coat them both. Ben gave a final thrust, his knot fully inflating inside her, filling her completely. He released into her, feeling his spend coat her walls and leak out between them when it had nowhere else to go. He hung his head, letting out a deep breath against her neck as he pressed a gentle kiss to her gland. He closed his eyes when Rey wrapped her arms around him.

They were both panting, a sheen of sweat coating their bodies. With great effort, Ben flipped them both so that Rey was lying on top of him. Absentmindedly, Ben ran his fingers through their combined fluid and rubbed it onto her lower back. _Mark her. Mark your Omega._ With his other hand, he held her head to his chest, his heart thrumming beneath her ear. Rey sighed, her body finally sated. They fell asleep to the sweet sound of rain beginning to pound the roof.


	5. The Wanting Comes In Waves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *scatters smut and fluff like it's confetti
> 
> Probably could have put this in the previous chapter, but I wanted it to be its own thing. So here, extra update!

Ben woke with a start, unable to feel Rey beside him. They’d already been up once since that first time, Ben making good on his promise to take care of her. He’d cleaned the dried blood and fluid from her body, letting her do the same to him. He’d outright refused to let her shower though. He’d needed his scent on her. He’d even whipped up something quick for them to eat. After making sure Rey’d eaten and had a few glasses of water (she’d guzzled them down like she’d been in a desert for weeks), he’d carried her back to bed and took thorough care of the rest of their needs. There was no doubt in Ben’s mind that Rey had set off his rut, and he needed her as much as she needed him. They’d been much rougher with each other now that they had made it over that first hurdle, so to speak. 

The rain was pounding outside, torrential. It was dark. Well, as dark as it gets in New York. Purplish pink light was filtering in to the room from the large floor to ceiling windows, falling over Rey’s huddled form. She was sitting on a bench he had placed against the window, the light and running rivulets of rain casting her in a strange ethereal glow. _Beautiful_. She was hugging her knees again as she rested her head against the glass, wrapped in a sheet they’d kicked off the bed earlier, staring out at the rushing cars and people below. He could smell her heat coming back, the scent blowing his pupils wide and causing blood to rush to the sensitive parts of his anatomy. But, she seemed so far away. Ben pushed himself out of bed, walking quietly over to her.

“Rey?” he asked softly, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. 

She leaned into his touch, pressing his hand to the side of her face. She sighed, almost sadly. Ben didn’t react outwardly, but he felt, deep in the marrow of his bones, that whatever was wrong, whatever was making her sad, he would fix it. Had to fix it. _What do you need, my Omega?_

“Is this all it is?” she asked quietly, looking up at him. Her eyes were equally black, the scent of her arousal heady and strong, but her restraint was truly a thing to behold. “Just...fucking?” She stumbled on the word, unaccustomed to using it this way.

Ben was silent as he ran his thumb over her gland, causing her to sigh with pleasure this time. It was a strange question, because technically, the answer was yes. That’s all ruts and heats demanded, an Alpha and an Omega giving the other what their bodies needed. Conversely, if you were mated to the other person, or were just together, it was always more. Ben thought as his fingers continued to rub and stroke the sensitive skin of her neck and shoulder. Could he be with her? He knew he could satisfy her physical needs, but he wasn’t the most emotionally available person. He’d never felt the urge to open up to anyone before, but he found that he wanted to try. For her. When this was all over. Rey moaned his name when he softly brushed against the edge of her mating gland between her shoulder blades.

His voice came out rough, low, scratchy when he said, “It doesn’t have to be. For us. If that’s what you want.”

“I-- Oh, God, Ben, stop that I can’t think straight-- yes. What about you?” 

Ben smiled and kept rubbing. “Yes. When this is all over, I’d like very much to take you to dinner. Date you properly. Hear more about Maine, flowers, and Stephen King.” 

Rey laughed, her nose wrinkling adorably, no doubt amused that he’d remembered everything she’d babbled about on the subway ride. As if he’d forget anything she said. “‘When this is all over.’ So, back to fucking?”

Ben grinned wickedly at her as he scooped her off the bench and threw her over his shoulder, carrying her back to bed. “Yes, back to fucking.”

__________

Rey bit down hard on her lip in an effort to keep from screaming, groaning through her teeth as Ben pounded relentlessly into her from behind, the sounds their bodies making lewd and wonderful. At some point in the last day or so, Rey wasn’t sure precisely, they’d started using personal pronouns. She loved it. It reassured her that Ben really had meant it when he said he wanted to see her when this was all over. And Rey could tell the over was here. Something about this time was different, more intense than the many, many other times. She was going to be so sore, but she didn’t care. Ben had promised to take care of her, and she trusted that he would.

She yelped in pleasure as he yanked her hair back, turning her head so he could growl into her ear, “Let me hear you, Omega. Let your Alpha hear who is fucking this cunt so well. Filling her so full everyone will know she’s _mine_. Let them all hear.”

“Oh God, Ben. My Alpha. You. Only you can fuck me this good.” Rey cried as she stretched her arms out in front of her gripping the sheet beneath her tightly, arching her back so hard the top half of her stomach almost touched the mattress. It strained her, but it allowed him to hit that spot she needed the most. She could feel the base of his knot hitting her. He was so close. He reached around her and began to stroke her wet folds, circling her sensitive clit with his thumb, pushing her over the edge.

“Come for me, my little Omega. Come for me so your Alpha can fill you.”

She cried wantonly when she came, her climax hitting her hard. With a final snap of his hips and a deep groan, Ben pushed into her, filling her completely. He leaned over her, biting into her shoulder gently, leaving the ghost of a mark as she felt him empty into her. The gland between her shoulders ached for him.

“Ben, please…” she didn’t know what to say, didn’t have the words.

He seemed to understand anyway. He ran his fingertips over the skin gently, causing her to shudder. She felt the muscles around his knot flex, trying to pull him deeper into her. He licked her with the flat of his tongue, and she moaned and cried when he dragged his teeth against the skin. She felt herself coming undone all over again, coating him in her own fluid. She could feel it all flowing down her thighs, filthy and beautiful.

Ben eased them both down so they were lying on their sides, smoothing his hand over her hip soothingly as he continued to fill her, the excess fluid spilling between them.

“We’re through it. You did so well,” he praised her quietly, reverence in his tone.

Rey hummed, content. _Thank you, Alpha._ She was sleepy. “You too,” she murmured, her eyes drifting closed. Ben held her tightly as she drifted off one more time.

***

When Rey woke, it had maybe been an hour. She’d rolled onto her back at some point after he’d been able to pull out from her. Ben was on his side, curled protectively around her, looking down into her eyes as he stroked her hair from her face. 

“Hey,” he said, smiling.

“Hey,” she replied, stretching her sore limbs. In spite of how sore she felt everywhere, she was in a great mood. “Can I shower now?”

Ben laughed and leaned down to press a soft kiss to her lips. “Yes. I don’t think any amount of soap is going to get my scent off you now.” He said it with a hint of that Alpha possessiveness that usually irked her, but she found her stomach doing a pleasant flip at his words instead. Rey swung her legs to the floor, but instead of finding herself standing, she was tipping, grabbing the edge of the bed as her legs refused to work properly. Ben was in front of her in an instant, holding her elbows to help steady her.

“Hey, careful. Go slow,” he admonished, his tone kind. 

Rey winced; she was so sore. 

“I hurt you. I’m so sorry, Rey,” he said, clearly angry at himself. 

She looked up at Ben and just about melted at the kindness and concern she saw in his warm brown eyes. She stroked his cheek, rough from the stubble growing in. “Don’t be sorry. Please.”

He leaned down pressing his forehead to hers before he scooped her up again like he liked to do and carried her to the bathroom himself. Like the rest of the loft, the bathroom was modern in design with a large slate walk in shower. A large tub stood beneath a massive fogged window.

The hot water cascading over her from the rain shower style head felt like heaven. Correction, Ben holding her as hot water cascaded over her from the rain shower style head was heaven. He washed her hair carefully, using his own high end shampoo and conditioner Rey noticed. It smelled wonderful. His soapy hands were almost worshipful as they made slippery passes over her skin, washing away the physical reminders of their time in bed together. Rey held on to his broad shoulders as he worked, keeping herself steady. Thus clean, Rey insisted on doing the same for him, despite his protests. She was still a little wobbly, definitely sore, but her legs were starting to act more like normal. 

After they were both clean, Ben found a spare toothbrush and set his comb out for her. He disappeared briefly, coming back in sweats with a bag that she recognized as hers. She’d forgotten he’d grabbed it. She smiled at him gratefully, tugging out the underwear and bra he’d thrown in and slipping them on. He held out a t shirt for her, but Rey hesitated.

“What’s wrong? Wrong color?” Ben teased.

Rey laughed, then asked, slightly embarrassed, “Would you mind if I, umm, borrowed one of yours?”

Ben’s eyes darkened. “No. That is, I don’t mind.” He stuffed the offending garment back into her bag and disappeared again, coming back with a faded black Led Zeppelin ZoSo t shirt, softened by many washings. Rey tugged it on, the hem just reaching the tops of her thighs. _Much better._

Ablutions complete, Ben led her to the living area and made her sit down on the couch while he went to make some food. 

“What sounds good?” he called from the kitchen.

“Breakfast,” Rey responded, flipping on the TV and clicking the Netflix button. She threw a blanket over her legs. Now that her heat was over, she was back to being cold all the time. 

“Anything in particular?”

“Pancakes. Bacon. Eggs maybe. Is that okay?” Rey asked, turning her head over her shoulder to look at him. He was putting some coffee on for himself and pouring some steaming water from an electric kettle into a large mug. She barely remembered telling him that she preferred tea, but he obviously did. She smiled.

“Duh,” he answered. “What are we watching?”

“X-Files,” Rey answered, as the familiar strains of Mark Snow’s iconic theme filtered out of the speakers.

“Nice,” Ben said as he whisked pancake batter.

“‘Nobody down here but the FBI’s most unwanted.’”

“Oh, do you have a laptop somewhere? I need to email my professors to let them know I’m not dead.”

“Sure, check under the couch. Should be there.” He paused. “Do you get, like, an excused absence for this?” 

“‘You’re saying that time disappeared. Time can’t just disappear! It’s a universal invariant!’ ‘Not in this zip code.’”

“Yeah. Shouldn’t be a problem.” Rey wondered if she had to go on suppressants now. Would Ben want her to? She shook her head. She was not going to think about that now. 

“Good.” Ben set Rey’s mug of tea carefully in front of her along with a carafe of coffee and a thermos with the rest of the tea. Rey caught his arm as he walked away, pulling him down so she could kiss him quickly. She smiled to herself as he walked back to the kitchen, a giddy feeling flooding through her as she clutched her warm mug of tea to her chest. Earl Grey. Her favorite.

“‘Agent Mulder believes we are not alone.’”

One episode was done before everything was ready. Ben brought everything to the large coffee table, setting out a plate with the pancakes on it, another with some bacon, and handing Rey a plate with two perfectly fried eggs on it. He went and grabbed his own eggs, bringing over the butter and syrup. 

“Thank you, Ben. It’s all lovely,” Rey said, pouring a bit of syrup on her pancakes.

“Of course,” he replied.

“‘Let’s just say this case has a distinct smell to it. A certain paranormal bouquet.’”

Ben insisted on cleaning up by himself, pushing Rey back down on the couch when she tried to get up. When he finally came back, Rey threw the blanket over both of them and curled into his side. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders, urging her to rest fully against him. He sighed contentedly when she wriggled, settling in close. Ben was snoring lightly three episodes in, and it wasn’t long until Rey followed suit.


	6. Friends In Diners Learning Things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eyeshadow shades are from the Naked3 palette by Urban Decay
> 
> Rey has some grown up girl bonding time

“I believe social convention dictates that you wait a minimum of three days before you text me, so you don’t seem overly eager. Air of mystery and all that,” Rey said matter of factly as she handed Ben’s phone back to him, having input her number.

“I see,” Ben replied tonelessly, handing her her own phone. “What does social convention say about the length of time a person waits before texting a person you’ve slept with?”

Rey exaggeratedly pondered for a moment. “I think the same thing.”

“Hmm.” Rey could tell that was not acceptable to Ben. 

She laughed. “I don’t mind of you text me before then, though.”

“Good to know,” Ben said, nodding. “What days do you typically have class?”

“Umm, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. In the mornings. I usually work at the campus library those days too. And Tuesdays.”

Ben ran his hand through his hair nervously. “Do you maybe want to stop by the bar Thursday night? Whenever you’re done with class and work? We’ll go somewhere nice?”

Rey gave him a bright smile, wanting to reassure him. It was Tuesday. “Sounds wonderful.” It was Rey’s turn to fiddle nervously. “Would you mind if I...stayed. With you I mean.”

Ben’s expression turned heated, making Rey blush wildly. “You don’t even have to ask. Is my Omega hungry for more already?”

Rey looked down, embarrassed and slightly ashamed. Her rational mind was taking back over. “I’m sorry. I’m not usually like this,” she answered quietly, shrugging her shoulders. _Needy proximity seeking Omega. Pathetic._

Ben gently lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. His gaze was tender, in spite of the want there. “Hey, don’t be ashamed. Don’t apologize. We are more than our designations obviously, but they’re a part of us, too. Don’t deny everything you are.” More lightheartedly he added, “And never apologize for wanting sex, Rey.”

Rey sniffled, scratching her nose to get rid of the tickling feeling. She would NOT cry.

Ben wrapped her in his arms, holding her close. He smelled so good. Rey felt herself melting into his embrace. Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled away.

“Cab’s here,” she said, her voice muffled against his chest.

Ben nodded. “See you Thursday.”

Rey shivered at the promise in his words as she walked out the door, closing it softly behind her. As she made her way outside, her phone pinged with a new text.

 **Ben** : Because everything you are is beautiful

Rey stifled a giddy giggle as she entered the cab.

***

“Oh my God. You had sex! Like, so much sex!” Kaydel screamed when Rey walked through the door.

Well, obviously. I haven’t been home in days, Connix, and this isn’t my shirt. “Yeah. Did you take care of my plants?”

“Seriously?! That’s all you’re going to say?! And yes, I took care of your damn plants. Sit your ass down and spill it! You barely smell like you, and that is not your shirt,” Kaydel commanded, pointing to the spot next to her on the couch.

Rey groaned, dropping her bag on the floor next to the couch and plopping down next to her friend. Rey put her face in her hands, finally letting the pent up emotional tears fall. Kaydel scooted closer, wrapping her slim arms around Rey and rocking her back and forth.

“Hey, it’s ok, Hun. Rose said you went into heat. I’m sorry no one was here. I’m sure you freaked. Rose said you sounded pretty scared on the phone, but her boss went and got you. Was it him who triggered it you think?”

“I know it was him,” Rey whimpered.

“And he saw you through it?”

Rey nodded.

“Is he one of those Alphas that only _looks_ like he knows what he’s doing in bed?”

Rey shook her head. “No, it was…” _Mind blowing. Unbelievable._

Kaydel gave a small laugh. “Then why are you crying, Sweetie?”

“I said things. Let him say things. What I let him call me. What I called him…” Rey shook her head again. “It just, didn’t feel like me. I never wanted to be like that. Never thought I could be like that.”

“Rey, you’re an Omega. That’s how we are with an Alpha. Especially in heat.” Kaydel shrugged. “It’s biology.” Concern clouded her face suddenly. “He didn’t try to bite your mating gland, did he? Some Alphas try to do that when you’re compromised or if they’re rutting.” 

Rey shook her head. “No. But…” Rey bit her lip. “I wanted him to.”

Kaydel smiled sympathetically. “This is all new for you. It’s gonna be okay. And who knows? Are you seeing him again?”

Rey nodded. “Thursday. He said he was going to take me someplace nice.” 

Kaydel squealed with delight. “You have the rest of the day off right?” 

“Yeah.”

“We’re going shopping. Get you something hot to wear with some lingerie to go underneath.”

Rey protested half heartedly as Kaydel dragged her off the couch. She was actually excited to go clothes shopping for once.

***

The afternoon was pleasant enough. Rey had a lot of fun shopping with Kaydel. She seemed to know all the cute small shops. Rey came away with a simple grey blue silk dress with a low draped neckline and spaghetti straps, black suede heels, sheer black silk thigh highs, and a pale nude pink with rose gold overlay bra/cheeky panty/garter belt combination that Kaydel had almost nabbed for herself before Rey fought her off. The only sour note was the guys that kept staring at her, their gazes hungry and predatory like sharks.

“Why are they all staring?” Rey asked when they stopped for lunch, and she had to glare menacingly at maybe the fifth guy in the last hour.

“They can tell you were just in heat and unclaimed. The scent must still be on you,” Kaydel replied as she took a bite of her sandwich. “Plus you’re hot, you dork.”

Rey frowned and picked at her own. “It’s annoying.”

Kaydel shrugged. “None of them will try to pull anything with Ben’s scent still on you the way it is. He’s like, Alpha Alpha. By the time it’s gone, you won’t have heat smell on you anymore, and maybe you’ll choose to go on suppressants, and that’ll be that.” She gave her a wink and said cheekily, “Besides, I have a feeling you’ll be smelling like Ben more often than not anyway.”

Rey smirked. That was true, although she still wasn’t sure if she wanted to go on suppressants. It made logical sense; having a heat was definitely inconvenient and the staring and leering really made Rey anxious. And she'd heard the horror stories, had witnessed it first hand back in London before she'd gotten out. But it had been so amazing with Ben. They ate in silence for a while before something occurred to Rey. “Where were Finn and Rose? I thought they had Tuesdays off?” They could usually be found passed out in their bunks on Tuesday afternoons.

“They’re with Poe,” Kaydel replied nonchalantly, wiping a bit of mustard from the corner of her mouth.

“Why are they both with Poe? Group project or something?” Rey asked, confused.

Kaydel burst out laughing. “You could say that.”

“Why is that funny?”

Kayde gave Rey an incredulous look. “Oh my God you are soooooo dense sometimes, Rey.”

“What are you…” Rey’s eyes widened when she realized what Kaydel meant.

“And the last horse crosses the finish line!”

“How does that even work?” Rey honestly had no idea.

“Like any other relationship I guess. There’s just one more person in the mix. They get a lot of crap for it though, with Poe being an Alpha and them being Betas, plus the whole poly thing, so keep that to yourself.”

Rey hummed thoughtfully. She was happy for them, and mad at a society that would judge them and try to hurt them. They seemed to make each other happy, which was all that should matter. 

“What did you mean when you said Alpha Alpha?” Rey asked as they were heading out of the diner. 

“Like, if we were all wolves, Ben would be the pack leader. Poe didn’t even want to mess with him, and you know how he is. He totally wanted to give him shit about the way he was staring at you, but he shut right the fuck up once Ben walked over and he got a whiff of him. I feel sorry for whoever gets on his bad side.”

“He seemed so different with me,” Rey murmured.

“Well, there’s two sides of the Alpha coin. The one they present to everyone, you know aggressive, strong, and all that Alpha bullshit, and the one reserved for their Omega. That more private side is softer, sweeter, caring. Because that’s their job where we’re concerned. The degree to which you see either side depends on the strength of the Alpha genes,” Kaydel explained.

Rey silently thanked whatever gods were out there that Kaydel was majoring in evolutionary biology. “Is Snap like that?” Snap seemed so level headed, Rey had trouble imagining him even raising his voice at someone.

“Nah, he’s on suppressants too. We agreed until I’m done with school. But I imagine with Ben, he can’t like, turn that off, you know. At least, based on what I could tell. Poor guy.”

Rey raised a brow.

“It must be exhausting, just _feeling_ so much all the time,” Kaydel said.

Rey had to agree.

***

Rey really needed the clock to hurry up and hit 6:00PM already, which was when her shift at the library ended. Ben had texted saying their reservation was for 8:00, and Rey really wanted to get going. She planned on changing when she got to Ben’s while he finished up at the bar. She’d brought her things with her to work and stashed them under the Circulation Desk, and her dress was perched precariously on the edge of the desk by the hanger. Every time she saw them or brushed them with her foot, her stomach got all twisty with anticipation. Kaydel had helped her decide on makeup for the evening and gave her a silver handbag to borrow.

“You CANNOT go to wherever Ben is taking you with your ratty ass messenger bag,” she had proclaimed, shoving the bag in Rey’s duffel.

Ben had been pretty uncommunicative, aside from the text about their reservation, and refused to give any clue as to where they were going, other than to ask if there was any food Rey didn’t like. Rey considered it her personal mission in life to make up for the malnourishment she’d suffered as a child and teenager and ate just about anything, so she’d nonchalantly (she hoped) texted Ben “No, I’ll eat whatever.” That had earned a snort from Kaydel and Finn when Rey recounted the conversation later. Rose had rolled her eyes as if to say, “Those two.”

When Rey was headed out the door to campus, bags in tow, Kaydel had hugged her briefly like she was a mother bird seeing her chick out of the nest. 

“Text if you need anything okay?” Kaydel said, patting Rey on back.

“I will. Do you, umm, have any advice?” Rey whispered, her face flushing bright red. The last time she’d seen Ben, she’d been in heat, and things had progressed more or less according to instinct and need. This time felt very different.

“Mostly figure out what feels good, and don’t keep it to yourself. It’s pretty natural from there. Oh, and tease him a little,” Kaydel said with a wink.

“How the hell do I do that?” Rey was not a natural at this.

Kaydel thought a moment. “Cross your legs at dinner and make sure he can see. Let the hem of your dress slip up and show off those lacy thigh highs with the garters.”

“Seriously?” Rey said skeptically.

“Trust me.”

As the clock finally struck 6, Rey grabbed her things and made a beeline for the subway. She got a few leering glances from some men in the packed car, but she ignored them. Finally stepping out onto the street, Rey decided walking the last few blocks would be quicker than getting a cab, so she walked quickly the rest of the way, getting to First Order a little after 7:00PM. 

As she pushed open the bar’s heavy door, Ben’s scent washed over her, drowning out everything else. She immediately felt both calmed and aroused. _That’s embarrassing,_ Rey thought. The calm feeling immediately disappeared when she saw Ben behind the counter talking to a slim ginger man. Rey stopped, just taking in the sight of him, so tall and broad, every inch the Alpha she knew him to be. His hair was ruffled and his eyes were filled with warmth. He turned towards her, and Rey knew he’d caught her scent. He smiled broadly, and Rey’s body felt suffused with warmth. She’d spent so much of her life unwanted, starved for affection, that knowing someone wanted her was absolutely thrilling.

She shrieked as Ben leapt over the counter and reached her in maybe two seconds, crushing her in his arms and kissing her deeply. The patrons in bar hooted and whistled, and the ginger raised one well manicured brow, making Rey turn a spectacular shade of scarlet. She buried her face in Ben’s shirt, hiding her flaming cheeks in the soft flannel folds.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help it,” Ben murmured into the top of her head, his large hands skimming the length of her back. His voice rumbled deep in his chest, and Rey sighed in pleasure. At this rate, they’d never make it to dinner, and there was no way Rey was letting that happen.

“Could I have your keys? I need to get ready,” she demanded, pushing away from him. 

Ben handed them over, his eyes dancing. “I’ll be up in a minute. I just need to finish with Hux.” Ben gestured to the ginger man, and he gave Rey a polite nod.

Rey returned Hux’s nod with one of her own, grabbed the keys and hurried out. She’d practiced putting her lingerie on, but she hadn’t quite mastered it yet, so this was going to take a few minutes. She scampered up the stairs quickly, setting her bags in a corner of the bedroom. Ben’s lovely scent surrounded her, even in the airy loft, and Rey took a moment to breathe in deeply. _Mmm, my Alpha. Stop that, time to hurry._

She shimmied out of her jeans, t shirt, and plain underclothes quickly, kicking them into a pile near her bag. Her new bra and underwear weren’t a problem, but the damn garter belt and stockings were a pain in the ass, a bit literally when she sat down, as it turned out. After a couple minutes or so of struggling, hooks were hooked and ties were tied. She looked at herself in the large mirror in Ben’s closet and actually felt pretty for once. The bra actually fit properly and lifted and pushed were it was supposed to, accentuating what she already had rather than trying to hide it beneath inches of padding. The garter belt was cute and flirty, kind of a lacy mini mini skirt. She slipped her dress over her head, relishing the feel of the smooth cool fabric against her skin. She slipped her heels on and went to the bathroom to mess with her makeup and hair.

She heard the door slam closed, announcing Ben’s presence. Rey felt her lower abdomen clench pleasantly. She shook her head and went back to carefully swiping some Dust and Blackheart over her eyelids. She was wrapping a silver ribbon around the twisted plait in her hair when Ben came up behind her. Rey swallowed thickly. He was dressed in dark rinse jeans and a black sweater, the soft cashmere stretched enticingly over his broad torso. Her lips parted slightly when she saw his pupils dilate in the mirror as he looked at her. A burst of both their scents filled the room, strong and dizzying. He wrapped his arms around her stomach and leaned down into her neck, pressing his plush mouth wetly against her scent gland.

Rey moaned, “Bee-een, don’t do that. You promised to take me somewhere nice.”

“I don’t recall _promising_ anything,” he purred against her neck.

She elbowed him lightly in the stomach, making him growl in amusement. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

“Am I dressed okay?”

“The answer to that will never be ‘no.’”

Rey giggled. She couldn’t recall giggling so much in her life as she had in the past couple days. Ben kept his hand low on her back as they made their way to the door. She felt so happy, so normal, so safe for once. She smiled broadly, ducking her head to hide it as Ben handed her into the cab.

Her mouth dropped open when Ben told the cabbie, “Nobu57, 40 West 57th.”

“You got it, Pal!”

“Hi, Mr. Kirk! How's Leonard?”

Rey laughed when Ben groaned.


	7. He Sings the Body Omega

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here! Have some smut! 
> 
> Chapter title is a reference to a Walt Whitman poem
> 
> PS. This is my first time doing an A/B/O fic, or one with vague sub/dom overtones, and I have no idea if any of this is right. I hope it is. I get really insecure, lol. On that note, all the love you guys have given this fic means the world to me

“So, how’d you get that scar? I suppose you know it makes you look quite dashing.” Rey asked about midway through the meal as she sipped her Black Orchid tea. It was delicious, much as everything else so far had been. 

Ben had insisted on them both getting Omakase, despite Rey’s protests at the exorbitant cost. When she’d protested that she couldn’t afford it, Ben had simply given her _a look_ , and Rey had shut her mouth. It was a battle she was happy to lose. Her Omega hindbrain, which had been fairly silent since she’d gone out of heat, purred with delight. _Yes, your Alpha will provide, little Omega. Quiet, you_ , Rey retorted. They were seated in a quiet corner at a small table. Rey had strategically positioned herself in the chair beside Ben rather than across, ostensibly to make it easier to reach the food, which was brought on one plate for the both of them to divvy up, but really so she could properly implement Kaydel’s plan. Rey still thought it was fairly ridiculous, but she figured what the hell. She didn’t buy this silly get up to not show it off. Rey was incredibly thankful that the angle of their table kept the other diners from seeing. She really didn’t want to be thrown out.

“Bar fight in college,” Ben replied. Laughing, he continued, “And I’m not so sure about ‘dashing.’”

“It’s very dashing, don’t be modest. Did you get in a lot of bar fights in college?” Rey asked as she crossed her legs and surreptitiously reached below the table and pulled the hem of her dress up just enough to reveal the lace top of her thigh high and the garter clip. She brushed against Ben’s leg as she did so, pretending it was on accident. “Sorry,” she murmured.

Ben’s eyes flicked past the edge of the table. Rey had to take another sip of tea to hide her smirk as his pupils blew wide and the ripple of a swallow chased down his throat. A wave of his aroused scent crashed over her, and her smirk quickly disappeared. She pressed her thighs together, her own arousal triggered. She knew he could smell it. _Maybe this wasn’t a good idea._

“Some,” Ben answered, his voice maybe an octave lower but even. “I met Hux in college, and he got a lot of shit for being bi and on blockers, and his mate is genderfluid, so they always got the worst shit levelled at them. Gwyn and I punched a lot of assholes, since Hux is more of a destroy their job prospects and livelihood kind of guy.”

Rey thought of the ginger man she’d seen Ben talking to. That description certainly seemed to fit. She hummed thoughtfully in response. _He’s a good Alpha. He’ll protect you. He protects his people._ She slipped her hand beneath the table again to readjust her dress, but Ben’s hand, lightning fast, caught her by the wrist.

“What a naughty little Omega you are, Rey. Teasing your Alpha like that,” he whispered in her ear. He let her wrist go and stroked just above the silk lace, his touch featherlight. Rey felt a rush of wetness between her legs, and she squirmed a bit in her chair. One of his fingers slipped between her skin and the garter clip, raising it slightly and releasing it so it lightly snapped against her skin. 

Rey bit her lip to keep from yelping out loud. “No, no, it was just an accident...Alpha,” she whispered, looking up at him through her lashes.

Ben tsked. “A liar and a tease. Am I going to need to correct this behavior, my sweet Omega?” His grip on her thigh turned hard, just this side of bruising, as his thumb stroked her flaming skin roughly.

“I...I don’t know, Alpha,” Rey stammered, quickly forgetting the game she was supposed to be playing.

“I think you do. I think you want your Alpha to punish you soundly, show you what happens when you tease him and lie to him like that. You’re going to have to spend the rest of dinner knowing that when we get home, I’m going to take that dress off, put you over my knee, and smack that perfect ass of yours. And then, when you’re soaked and begging for my cock, I am going to fuck you, Omega,” Ben growled against her skin. He let go of her thigh, gently tugging the hem of her dress back down over her knee, and leaned back as their waiter came with their next course and a new pot of tea.

Rey was certain she was going to break the skin on her lip, she was biting it so hard to keep from moaning his name. The place between her legs was growing increasingly wet and warm, and all she could do was try and press her thighs closer together to find some relief. She avoided looking anywhere except at her hands clasped tightly in her lap until the waiter left. Ben had returned to acting normal, but she could smell the arousal radiating off him. _If he can do this, so can I_ , Rey reasoned, determined to give the remainder of their dinner her full attention and not give Ben the satisfaction of seeing how turned on he’d made her. 

_____________________

Ben was sure this woman was going to be the death of him. She had looked so lovely tying a ribbon in her hair, the tip of her tongue between her teeth as she focused. He’d almost cancelled their reservation then and there and taken Rey to bed, but she’d been so looking forward to dinner that he didn’t. There’d be plenty of time, he’d reasoned.

When they’d been seated, Rey was smiling and radiating pure happiness. She’d remained outwardly subdued, however, and Ben realized she’d probably never been taken out to dinner like this before. He found out a lot of things in that manner as they ate. She was drawn to plants and living things because she’d grown up in an urban desert in London, one of the rougher parts he figured. Ben knew that the only thing that could prevent an Omega from going into heat, from presenting in their teens, was malnourishment and a stressful or dangerous environment. Evolutionarily speaking, an Omega wouldn’t have survived such an environment, so the body stopped producing the mix of neurochemicals that triggered a heat. 

She talked about how she’d been surrounded by concrete and metal, hadn’t even seen a park until she’d come to New York. She wanted to move to Maine mainly because she could experience all four seasons there, and quite literally because that’s where Stephen King lived. It sounded to Ben like Stephen King stood large in her life because no other adult figure did. He imagined her reading and rereading his books, getting lost in a world that wasn’t her own, maybe one that made hers not seem so bad. She was attending Columbia on grants and scholarships, getting the call while she was working as a grease monkey in a disreputable garage. Ben guessed her parents or guardians weren’t in the picture, since she hadn’t mentioned them once. His heart ached for the lonely girl she had been, and it screamed in anger at the people who’d left her so alone, who hadn’t been there to protect her. 

He formed this picture in his head of a scrappy, determined girl who clawed her way out of a situation most people would have found themselves stuck in. She was hell bent on giving herself a better hand than the one she’d been dealt, and Ben sincerely admired her for it. He wanted to help her get there. He could move to Maine.

He’d found himself telling her things about him, her sincere gaze utterly disarming. He told her about how angry he’d been when he was younger, how he’d lashed out at everyone around him. His Alpha designation did not help, as that exacerbated his already intense emotions. He told her about how he’d felt abandoned by his parents when they’d sent him off to California to live with his uncle Luke. At the time, he thought it was because they couldn’t deal with him and his anger issues. He and his father, an Omega, couldn’t ever see eye to eye, and Ben and his Alpha mother only argued. He only found out later it was because they were working through their divorce and didn’t want him to see their fighting. He’d reconciled with them several years ago, and he was glad for it. His father had passed ownership of the bar to him a couple years ago, even though, thanks to a trust fund from his mother’s adopted parents, he didn’t need to work if he didn’t want to. Ben had enjoyed running First Order though, so he’d kept the bar and brought Hux on to help manage it. 

It had occurred to Ben that maybe this was a bit much to share on a first date, but Rey didn’t seem to mind. She encouraged him to keep talking, and Ben found he really wanted things to work with Rey. If there was something he said that scared her off, he figured it was best they break things off now before they got too much further. As things stood, Rey didn’t seem to be going anywhere, to Ben’s joy.

And then he’d caught that flutter of movement beneath the table. That flash of black lace, pale pink ribbon, and bare skin. There was no doubt in his mind that she’d done that on purpose to tease him. He knew most Alphas hated being teased, especially by an Omega, but Ben was surprised to find he loved it. He’d gone dominant in his response though, and judging by the way Rey was squirming and the scent she was giving off, that had been the way to go. To her credit, she was the picture of nonchalance the rest of the meal, sitting primly in her chair and holding the chopsticks elegantly in her hand. Every once in awhile however, she’d sneak a glance at him and her cheeks would turn bright pink when he caught her. She’d look away and bite her lip, and Ben had to struggle to keep his breathing even. _Who was in control here again? Where is the damn check?_

When the waiter finally returned with Ben’s card, he threw some cash down for a tip, Ben stood and looked to into Rey’s upturned face. She was looking up at him with the doeiest of eyes he’d ever seen, her face the model of innocence.

“Time to go, little Omega,” he purred darkly.

Rey cast her eyes down, “Yes, Alpha.” Goddamn if that wasn’t the hottest thing he’d ever seen or heard. He applied gentle pressure on her lower back, urging her in front of him as they wound their way out of the restaurant. He kept a firm pressure on the spot as he hailed them a cab, relieved that for once it wasn’t the Jim guy driving. He gave her ass a light smack as she got in the cab, smiling when she yelped.

“Are you alright, Miss?” the cabbie asked, concerned.

“Umm, yes, just twisted my ankle a bit. Not used to heels,” Rey mumbled in reply.

The cabbie chattered about everything and nothing on the ride back to the loft. Rey had crossed her ankles elegantly and held her hands demurely in her lap. Ben tried to keep his expression stern, but it was hard when Rey would glance up at him through her dark lashes. He placed his hand firmly over her thigh, rubbing his thumb over the garter clip. Rey remained very still, her eyes on her hands in her lap.

Ben let Rey get out first. The hem of her dress fluttered delicately in the cool autumn breeze, a few wisps of her hair blown loose as she stood waiting for him. He paid the fare and stood before Rey, looking down into her upturned face as the cab sped off into the night. The dim light from the bar cast them both in strange shadows, the sound of rushing traffic and chatter around them. His determination to keep playing their little game faltered a bit, until Rey broke the silence between them.

“I’m sorry I teased you, Alpha,” she murmured, her hands now clasped innocently behind her back.

“I don’t think an apology is enough, my Omega. I need to know you’ve learned your lesson,” he growled, settling easily back into character.

“Yes, Alpha.”

_Fuck that was hot_ , Ben thought. However, before this went further Ben needed to establish one thing. “Rey, if you want me to stop, if it becomes too much for you, say ‘kitten.’ Okay?” It was the first word that came to Ben’s mind, and he figured it was as good as any. It would certainly get his attention if she said it, which is what mattered.

Rey nodded, dropping her act so he knew she understood. “‘Kitten.’ I understand.”

Ben nodded, resuming the game as he unlocked the door. “Upstairs, Omega. Your Alpha needs to punish you. And if you’re good and do as I say, I’ll reward you.”

Rey dropped her gaze. “Yes, Alpha,” she purred. She sauntered up the stairs, kicking her heels off when she reached the landing and hanging her jacket up on a hook. She stood in his foyer, head down but eyes on him, waiting for him to give another command. Her gorgeous scent swirled around him, turning his breathing erratic. He could smell how wet she already was. _Jesus Christ._

“Bedroom,” he commanded, his voice sounding rough even to his own ears. She turned and walked quickly toward the back of the loft, swaying her hips slightly as she went. Ben stalked after her, feeling every bit the Alpha he was born. He was so hard already, the strain in his jeans almost painful. He was starting to doubt his ability to make it through this, but he’d be damned if he lost control before Rey did. _You’re an Alpha, goddammit._

Entering the bedroom, he saw that Rey had resumed her demure and innocent pose. She opened her mouth to speak, but Ben held up a finger.

“The only words I want to hear out of your mouth are ‘Yes, Alpha’ or ‘No, Alpha’ and the count of your punishment. If I hear anything else, we’ll have to start over, and you won’t get your reward. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Alpha.”

“Good Omega. Take off your dress.” Ben did not miss the shaking of her fingers as she slid the straps of her dress down over her shoulders. It was loose enough that she simply let it fall, the silky fabric pooling at her feet. She stepped daintily to the side, waiting.

“Holy fuck,” Ben murmured as he saw her, dropping character again. She was beautiful, her slim figure on display in the prettiest, sexiest lingerie he had ever seen. The pale warm pink and rose gold complimented her skin tone so well; she practically glowed, even in the artificial light pouring in through the large windows. The garter clips stretched the lace tops of the thigh highs, and Ben knew he was going to enjoy taking those off the most. He felt his fingers twitch in anticipation. Rey bit her lip, seeing his twitch. _Let’s get this started._

Ben walked over to the bed, sitting on the edge so she’d be able to lay over his lap with her feet on the floor. Since the bed was more of a Japanese platform style, it was just the right height.

“Come here,” Ben said, his voice low and guttural. Rey walked over, her steps light and silent over the hardwood floor. He put a large hand on her back, pushing her forward over his lap. Her skin was warm, and he could swear he could feel her blood rushing through her veins. She held her arms under her chest, holding onto his muscular thigh. He ran his fingers softly over the curve of her back, into the dip of her spine. He stroked the rough lace of her lingerie, the belt and underwear doing nothing to cover the swell of her perfect ass. He kneaded and rubbed the flesh, preparing her for the smack of his hand when it came.

“How many do you think? Three?” he asked throatily as he continued to knead and rub until the flesh was quite warm beneath his fingers.

“No, Alpha,” Rey answered, her own voice thick with lust.

Ben nodded approvingly. “Good girl. I think five is sufficient to teach you your lesson. I want you to count them. Ready?” He was ninety-nine percent sure he couldn’t make it past five.

“Yes, Alpha.” Her hands gripped his thigh tighter in anticipation.

Ben raised his hand and let it fall, a loud smack echoing in the quiet room as his palm made contact with her warm skin. He rubbed the spot soothingly, urging the sting to dissipate. “Count!” he commanded.

“One!” Rey cried out.

Another smack. “Are you going to tease me again?”

“No, Alpha! Two!”

Smack. “Are you going to lie to me again?”

“No, Alpha! Three!” Rey’s breath was hissing through her teeth now as she tried to control it, to do as he said.

“You’re doing so well, Sweetheart. We’re almost there,” he murmured. He could see the glisten of moisture between her thighs, could feel how hard she was gripping his thigh in an effort to remain quiet, to obey. His cock twitched in his jeans. “You’re being so good.”

He landed another smack closer to where she was wet, causing her to jerk against him. “Fo-four,” she whimpered. He couldn’t help running his fingers over the soaked fabric between her thighs.

“You want my cock so bad, don’t you Omega.”

“Yes, yes, Alpha!” she cried, unable this time to keep from panting. 

His hand came down harder for the final smack. “Five,” he murmured as he rubbed and soothed her flesh, now hot and tender. He pressed small light kisses along her back, nuzzling her mating gland gently. The smell radiating off her was incredible. He hoped he smelled half as good to her. He found himself getting impossibly harder at the thought of marking her, of laying a permanent claim on her. He could do it so easily, just sink his teeth into her and...

Rey whimpered and whined on his lap, moaning loudly when he nuzzled the sensitive place between her shoulder blades. Ben stopped. “You were such a good girl for your Alpha. Now lets give you your reward,” he said gently, carefully lifting her off his lap and setting her on the edge of the bed. He stripped off his clothes quickly, throwing them over by Rey’s discarded dress. 

Ben grabbed Rey’s knees when she started wriggling further onto the bed, pulling her back to the edge and kneeling before her. Her eyes were blown wide and unfocused, her breathing erratic. He worked on unfastening her stockings first, unrolling them slowly one at a time and pressing warm wet kisses along her legs as he went. Her breath was coming in gasps and moans now, her body shaking with need. He reached around her and unhooked her bra, throwing it off to the side. He kissed her sternum, her skin hot against his lips, as he palmed her breast, rolling and pinching her hardened nipple in his fingers. He sucked the hard bud into his mouth, teasing it further with his tongue, causing her to cry out. Still sucking and nipping at her breasts, he worked on the last of her undergarments. To Ben’s great relief, the garter belt wasn’t difficult for him, just a couple hooks and a tie at the top. He pulled it down with her underwear. 

He stopped and looked up at her then, this beautiful wonderful woman in his bed. Her skin was flushed, a sheen of sweat covering her body. He pulled her closer to the edge of the bed and pushed her thighs apart, kissing the inside of her thighs. Rey’s eyes went wide when she realized what he was about to do. 

“Ben,” she breathed.

He kept his eyes on her as he ran his tongue through her wet folds. He almost came right there between her thighs. _Holy Hell_. If he thought she smelled good, that was nothing compared to how she tasted. She tasted of salt and musk and pure want. _Beautiful._ Her head fell back, an almost animal moan leaving her lips as he began to lick and nip gently at her in earnest. He found her clit with his tongue, the bundle of nerves tight and hot. He flicked at it before he took the bud into his mouth and sucked. Rey was screaming, writhing on the bed so much he had to hold her down, his hands applying firm pressure on her hips to keep her relatively still. 

“Ben, please!” she cried, her breath coming in sobs. He released his hold on one of her hips, thrusting two of his fingers inside her. 

“You’re so tight, Sweetheart,” he murmured against her dripping cunt, continuing to lick her as he thrust his fingers in and out, crooking them _just so_ in order to hit that patch that had her keening. He smiled when her back arched off the bed and she cried out lewdly, a flood of her wetness coating his mouth and chin as her walls clenched and throbbed around his fingers. He stayed with her through her orgasm, lapping up her juices like it was the only thing he ever needed. When her throbs and cries subsided, he withdrew his fingers, licking them clean, and stood, a bit shaky, and looked down at her. She looked utterly spent, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

She held her arms out to him, and he obliged, crawling beside her carefully. He pulled her further onto the bed with him before pushing her thighs wide again and kneeling between them.

“I need you, Alpha. Please,” Rey whispered.

“Yes, Omega,” he replied as he slipped his hands beneath her and raised her hips, pushing into her wet entrance firmly but gently. He continued to hold her as he began to thrust into her, the muscles in his arms beginning to shake from the strain, but he would not falter. Rey began to moan again as his cock hit her g spot, the flesh already sensitive from his fingers. 

“Yes! Oh God, Ben there! Please! Harder!”

“Yes, Omega,” he rasped as he obliged her, his pace turning punishing and erratic as he came closer to his own release. His knot was beginning to form, and he desperately needed her to come again. He thrust harder, hitting her relentlessly, making her scream as she released and clenched deliciously around him again, coating him in her slick heat as he gave one final thrust and locked into her. He twitched and winced with each spurt of his come inside her, having come too close to the edge one too many times during their game and when he’d tasted her. They were both slick with sweat and breathing hard, arms and legs tangled together. Ben rolled onto his back, taking her with him so she was splayed over top of him. He reached for the edge of the sheets, throwing them over their rapidly cooling bodies.

Rey was mumbling something against his chest.

“Hmm?”

“Remind me to thank Kaydel tomorrow,” Rey mumbled before she drifted off, Ben following close behind.


	8. Unruhe and Favors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to take a trip to serious town, Gentle Readers. 
> 
> **Trigger warnings:** physical assault, attempted sexual assault, mentions of human trafficking 
> 
> Unruhe- German for unrest  
> Ikebana- Japanese flower arranging
> 
> Enjoy Finn's _Pacific Rim: Uprising_ reference

After telling him about the leering and hungry stares that first weekend, Ben had encouraged Rey to go on suppressants, simply for her own safety.

“Are you sure?” Rey had asked, concern in her pretty hazel eyes. “I’ve heard it...changes things.”

Ben gave a huff of laughter. “The only thing that’ll change is you won’t have heats anymore. And I mean, yeah, that’s a bummer for me, but whatever. That’s my problem. I want you safe, Rey. And I know you don’t want me hovering around you all the time like some Alpha guard dog.” _Or you could let me claim you, because you're my Omega and I'm your Alpha. I know we've only known each other less than a month, but I know you feel it too. Riiiight, good one Solo_

She nodded, that was true. “Okay. I think I’ll probably have one more after I start them, since the medication will need some time to kick in.”

“Alright. Do you know when? So you can get to the loft in time?” _So you can be safe with me?_

“I’ll ask Kaydel and the doctor when I see her. Ask what signs to watch out for.”

“Good.”

Things had progressed quite nicely after that, in Ben’s opinion. Rey would have told him otherwise, he knew. They typically only saw each other on the weekends, as Rey was busy with class and Ben was busy with the bar. Maybe once a week though, Ben took the subway up to Columbia and surprised Rey with a coffee and muffin or lunch, depending on the time of day. He curled his lip and glared at the other Alphas who openly leered at Rey, licking their lips, and sent them running. An unclaimed Omega, especially one not on suppressants or just starting them like Rey, was always in danger. Rey had told him about what the doctor said when she first got to Columbia, which Ben figured was probably why she’d gone so long without getting outright attacked. She technically hadn’t presented until she’d touched him, which filled Ben with a strange mix of guilt and pride. 

He could tell there was something she was leaving out, but he didn’t push. When he’d asked her about her life in London a couple of times, and she’d completely shut down, so he learned to leave certain things alone and let her bring them up when she felt ready. Otherwise, their time was spent watching _The X-Files_ on the couch and eating take out and talking, or naked in bed and moaning. Sometimes Rey would talk Ben into going to the flower district, and they’d come back to the apartment, their arms laden with flowers and plants. Rey would arrange them in attractive modern looking designs to go with Ben’s decor, having studied Ikebana her Sophomore year. Other times when Ben had to work, she’d sit in a corner of the bar, working on assignments for her business classes or sketching, earbuds in and oblivious to everything. She slowly carved a space for herself in his life, and Ben loved it. Everything was so much better with Rey, like everything was brighter, sharper somehow. Ben didn’t think he’d ever been this happy. He got the feeling she felt the same. At least, he hoped so.

Then, the day had finally come that Rey’s heat was starting to present again. Finn, Rose, and Kaydel had all come to First Order with her that night, making sure she wasn’t by herself, which Ben appreciated. He really liked her friends. Rey had acted peeved, by she couldn’t hide the relief in her eyes. They all sat at the bar, Ben bringing them burgers and fries, the only food First Order served, but damn did they make that one thing the best. Finn had ordered the most ridiculous burger of the four of them, the amount of toppings dwarfing the burger.

“You want some burger to go with all that shit?” Ben had teased.

“Hey, lay off my toppings, mate,” Finn had retorted, shoving the ridiculous beast of a burger in his mouth and making a mess.

The girls all laughed at the mess he was making, and Ben broke into one of his rare smiles. Then, he smelled it. The subtle shift in Rey’s scent, a heady musky wisp winding its way through the floral. A few heads around the bar turned in their direction then quickly turned back when Ben glared. Except one. Some asshole Alpha frat guy with his Beta brothers, at least if their shirts were any indication. That was the one Ben worried about the most, since he didn’t seem to be backing down. He looked vaguely familiar, but Ben couldn’t be bothered to care about that now.

“Rey, you need to go. Now,” Ben murmured urgently to her, handing her his keys.

Rey’s eyes widened when she caught his meaning. He knew his eyes were pools of black. She nodded and hurried out. Ben began hurriedly wrapping up behind the bar, his hands shaking. Rose jumped over the counter.

“Go, Ben. I got this,” she said. She’d seen the asshole too.

“Thanks, Rose. I owe you one,” he said gratefully. He started to head out when the group of frat boys started to fight, throwing glasses, trying to overturn tables and chairs, and jumping on the other patrons. 

Yells and shouts erupted throughout the bar, causing Hux to come running from the back. “What the fuck is going on?” Hux screamed.

Ben was trying to tear one of the kids off an older man that had stepped in to try and help Ben get them all out. “Fuck if I know!” he cried, grunting as one landed a punch against his side. Finn had jumped in and was helping Ben pry bodies apart, taking a few hits of his own. Kaydel was on her phone, probably with the cops.

Over the sea of bodies, Ben saw Rose’s face pale. “Ben! Rey!” she screamed pointing at the door. Ben looked over the sea of bodies. He sniffed. He couldn’t find the Alpha.

Ben dropped the guy he was holding and ran toward the door. One of the Betas jumped at his legs, trying to hold him back, snarling. Ben kicked him, his foot landing square in the kid’s face. Blood poured from his nose as he sneered at Ben.

“She set off our Alpha’s rut. And she’s going to end it,” he hissed. He fell limp to the floor when Finn landed a solid hit against his temple.

“I don’t think so, asshole,” Finn growled. “You’re clear!” Finn yelled at Ben.

Ben felt sick. He rushed out the door and around the corner to the alley. He could smell Rey and the Alpha. It wasn’t long before he could hear them too. 

“Submit, you Omega bitch!”

“No! Fuck off, asshole!” A soft thumping sound followed, and Ben could hear Rey whimper in pain. 

A primal roar left him when he finally saw them. Rey was on her stomach, her face pressed hard against the gritty pavement, blood staining the corner of her mouth. The large blonde Alpha had one hand pressed on her mating gland, the other working on the front of his jeans. He snarled when he saw Ben, his waspy features contorted in rage. Ben lunged, knocking him off Rey. He picked the other Alpha up and threw him against the dumpster, the metal shrieking as it bent. He fell to the ground limply, and struggled to get up, the wind knocked out of him. Using the advantage, Ben knelt, keeping one knee to the guy’s chest and let his fist fall, hard, again and again. 

Red prickled the edges of Ben’s vision, and he heard himself snarl in a voice not quite human, “She’s mine!”

He kept punching until two pairs of hands dragged him away, undeterred by his snarling and spitting.

“I suggest you stop your punching, young man. You need to take care of that young lady Omega, and you can’t do that if you’re arrested,” he heard a strange voice say as strange bony fingers pressed into his shoulder. Ben stilled. It wasn’t just that it was a stranger’s voice. It was that it was a strange voice, and it compelled him to calm down and listen. The man it was coming from was tall and a bit lanky, his nose and ears large. Ben’s eyes widened when he realized who he was looking at. He’d heard the description too many times to not know. Jim Kirk’s Leonard.

“Yeah, lay off. Leave something for the cops,” Jim added. More softly, he said, “Rey needs you, Pal.”

The mention of Rey’s name snapped Ben out of his rut induced rage. He whipped around to see Rey struggling to get to her feet. He rushed over, sparing Jim and Leonard the briefest of grateful glances, and knelt down to help Rey up. His large hands wrapped around her slim arms, gently hoisting her off the ground. She collapsed into him, shaking all over. Her perfect scent was marred by the other Alpha. Ben was going to burn those clothes. He wiped the trickle of blood from her mouth.

“Take me home,” she whispered against his shirt, inhaling deeply.

“Yes, Sweetheart,” Ben replied softly as he lifted her into his arms, holding her close to his chest. 

He ascended his stairs quickly, walking directly to the bathroom. He set Rey gently down on the counter and peeled her stained clothes off. She was dirty and bruised much as he was, and Ben had to breathe in through his nose and out his mouth a few times to calm down. _I won’t let this happen again, my little Omega_. He helped her down and into the shower, turning the water on warm. She wasn’t quite in heat yet, so she wasn’t burning up. She stood unnaturally still, staring off into middle distance, shell shocked. Ben quickly stripped off his clothes and gathered them all up in his arms. He walked back to his foyer and threw them all down the stairs. He’d deal with them later. He joined Rey in the shower, washing her body, mindful of her glands, and her hair twice before doing the same to himself, satisfied that they both smelled like each other again. He held her close after, trying to get her to relax against him, watching the blood and grit swirl down the drain with the soap. Eventually, she melted into his embrace, deep choking sobs wracking her body. He held her like that under the warm spray until her sobs subsided, making calming shushing noises and reassuring her that he was here, that he was going to take care of her, protect her. _Forever and always, my Omega_. 

He held very still as Rey brought his hand close to the sensitive place between her shoulders blades. “Touch me there, Ben. Please. Make me forget,” she asked softly. He rubbed her mating gland gently, reverently, causing her to sigh and hold him close, comforted by his touch. Turning off the water, he dried her then himself and carried her to bed. He curled protectively around her, pressing soft kisses to each of her glands as he pulled the sheets over them both.

***

He awoke to the sound of Rey screaming. This wasn’t a heat. This was terror. The smell was potent in Ben’s nose, almost making him choke. She was thrashing around wildly, screaming and screaming. Ben tried to calm her, to reach out and pull her to him, but she wouldn’t hold still. She lunged out of bed, skittering backwards to the wall. Her legs were bent beneath her at odd unnatural angles, her hair wild and obscuring most of her face. She looked rapidly from side to side, still screaming out, before she held her hands to either side of her head and rocked back and forth, her screams turning to sobs.

“Rey! Look at me!” Ben urged, using an Alpha command.

Her biology compelled her to obey. When she looked at him, Ben saw her eyes were wild. She reminded him of an abused animal. He swallowed thickly. The assault had triggered something she had tried to repress. _Oh my sweet Omega, help me fix this._

“They took her! They took her away and sold her, and I did nothing!” Rey wailed. 

Ben got out of the bed and approached her slowly, as unthreatening as he could. He felt sick all over again. He sat on his heels a couple of feet from her. “Who did they take, Rey?”

Rey wailed again before managing to sputter out, “Satine! She protected me, and they took her! I couldn’t protect her!”

“How old were you?”

“Four.”

“You were just a child, Sweetheart. They would have taken you, too, if you tried to stop them. Or worse. How old was Satine?” Ben was afraid of the answer, but he needed to know.

“Fourteen,” Rey whimpered. “She...she told me to hide it, hide what I was, and they wouldn’t take me. She tried so hard, but she couldn’t hide. The Sniffer Man Teedo found her.”

Ben’s hands clenched into fists at his sides. He’d heard of scum like this. Human traffickers who specialized in sniffing out Omegas, selling them to whatever Alpha paid the highest price. They must have taken Satine when she first presented. He’d never imagined this is what Rey had run from, why she hadn’t presented before now. His blood began to boil again.

“Who took Satine, Rey?” he asked, his voice dangerously low. “They are going to pay for this.” He had to make sure they paid for this. He was only sorry he couldn’t do it himself. He had a way though, a contact overseas. He never thought he’d need to reach out to her but, there it was.

Rey’s eyes widened, and she gave him the name. “Make him pay, Ben,” she said darkly.

“I will, Sweetheart, I swear it. I’ll make sure he pays for hurting Satine and for hurting you,” Ben assured her. The look she gave him was one full of gratitude. Full of trust for the Alpha that would do anything he could to protect her, to keep her safe. 

“Can I hold you, Rey?” he asked, gentling his voice. He crawled closer when she held her arms out and nodded, wrapping his body around her to cradle her in his lap, letting his Alpha scent envelope her. She stilled immediately, taking deep greedy breaths. He rocked her back and forth until her breathing became more even. He repeated his reassurances from earlier, that he would protect her, take care of her, however she needed him to. She was his and he was hers.

Eventually, she looped her arms around his neck, and Ben carried her back to bed. He stroked and smoothed her hair as she drifted off, trying to put every reassurance he had murmured to her into his touch. When she was finally deep asleep, he carefully left the bed and made his way to the closet in the living room. He lifted up a floor board and pulled out a small box, opening it to reveal a simple flip phone and a charger. He went to the kitchen and plugged the phone in and waited.

***

His fingers shook with rage as he tapped the keys on the burner phone after it had charged enough to turn on. There was only one contact, no name, only a number. Offered years ago when Ben had gone to her in England for help and guidance after he’d fought with his uncle Luke. Despite the...unsavory...nature of her lifestyle, she’d encouraged and guided Ben in the other direction, helping him find the goodness in himself despite his anger. Much as she had with his father, ages ago.

“Call me if you need something done...not on the side of angels. I offer you this favor once. Use it wisely,” she had said when he decided to go back home, her voice elegantly soft and menacingly terrifying all at once.

Ben tried to control his breathing as the phone rang. And rang. And rang. Finally, that voice answered.

“Yes?”

“Aunt Qi’ra? It’s Ben. I need the favor.” He could barely suppress the bloodthirst in his voice.

“Name him,” Qi’ra encouraged gently.

“Unkar Plutt.”

She gave a satisfied sigh. “Ahh how the stars align. Watch the papers, Ben. Destroy the phone.” She hung up before he could reply or thank her.


	9. The Wanting Comes in Waves (Reprise)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter. Having a bit of writer's block at the moment. Bear with me, Gentle Readers

Rey was scalding hot when she woke up. She was soaking wet between her thighs. Why was she so wet? _Oh, right. Heat. Duh._ Her ribs hurt. Why did her ribs hurt? That asshole who jumped her and tried to… Rey shuddered. She remembered now. She remembered everything.

She looked over at her strong Alpha, asleep beside her. On his back, chest rising and falling, one arm thrown over his eyes shielding them from the early morning sun, the other shoved under her pillow. He hadn’t let that lesser Alpha violate her. Her Alpha had protected her, just liked he’d promised. Like he had since the moment they’d met. _You could let him protect you forever, little Omega,_ whispered her hindbrain. _It would be so easy. Flush the pills and let him mark you, claim you_ , the voice said, louder. _But he has his bar. He loves this city. I want to leave it. He will go with you. Wherever you go._ Was there a future for them? Rey didn’t know, but she knew he’d promised to make her tormentors pay, had already made one pay through the nose. Quite literally. He promised he would avenge Satine. For her. No one had ever promised her things like that before. Only promised pain. The words he’d said as he held her, comforted her, were sweet words. Love words.

Rey’s eyes went wide. She tried to reassure herself that it was only her heat addled mind telling her these things. That she was in love with him. That he was in love with her. No way. It had been beaten into her that she was worthless, was nothing. _You’re not nothing. Not to him._

A flash of fire ran through Rey’s core. Now was not the time for this. Rey pushed her arguing selves down and pushed the sheets back, sweat coating her body. Her inner thighs were slick with her arousal, and Ben groaned in his sleep, struggling to open his eyes. Rey bit her lip. Ben might be half asleep, but his body wasn’t. He really was the perfect Alpha, she mused as his hands grabbed her hips and dragged her over him. She yelped as she felt his hard length against her throbbing center. She braced her hands on his broad chest as she rolled her hips against him, her pants turning quickly into breathy moans. Ben groaned beneath as he felt her coat him in her fluid, his fingers digging hard into her hips. She leaned forward and licked the gland in his neck, scraping her teeth across the wet spot delicately, making him shudder.

“Can you feel it, Alpha? How much I need you?” Rey whispered against his sensitive skin. _How much I love you?_

Ben pushed her back up, looking at her with eyes blown wide with lust. In reply, he lifted her hips enough to center her over his hard length, letting her sink onto him slowly until he was sheathed inside her, filling her completely. Rey keened low and long as she felt his girth stretch her, making her soaking flesh burn a little with a mix of pleasure-pain. She ground her hips hard and fast, arching her back so he hit her just right. Ben’s hands skimmed up her body to hold her on either side of her rib cage, giving her hips a wider range of movement. She worked her body against his wantonly, greedily, chasing the relief she desperately needed, murmuring his name like a prayer. She babbled incoherently, praising his body, his strength, his kindness. Asking him to protect her and please her forever. To be her Alpha forever. 

At that, Ben abruptly flipped them over with a loud moan and pulled out, leaving Rey whimpering at the loss of him inside her. He turned her over so she was on her stomach, raised her hips and thrust roughly back into her with a sound almost animal.

“Oh God, Ben! Alpha, yes!” she screamed as he began to thrust into so hard she could barely catch a breath. Her back arched as she felt him lean over her and kiss her mating gland, licking and dragging his teeth across it. She felt herself clench deliciously around him when he bit into her shoulder, but not hard enough to break the skin.

“Rey, I feel it too,” he murmured against her skin, giving one final hard thrust into her, his knot inflating and locking them together. He fell back onto the bed, pulling them both onto their sides.

Rey twitched and sighed with every throb of her muscles and they worked to take his fluid and flesh deeper into her. Ben’s breath was coming in heavy hot pants on her shoulder, and she shivered, her relief short lived. His knot was only half of what her body wanted now, and she sighed and snuggled closer against him, telling her body to shut up and be happy with what it had. Ben’s arm wrapped tight around her waist.

“Good morning,” he mumbled against her neck, pressing featherlight kisses along her shoulder. 

Rey hummed in response. The flames were simmering now, but she knew they’d come back soon. Something else was bothering her, and she squirmed.

“My poor Omega,” Ben murmured, rubbing her hip soothingly.

“Ben, about last night…” Rey felt him hold her tighter.

“What about it?” he said, his voice low.

“I…” Rey stopped. What was there to say, except all of it? So she told him. All of it. About how she’d been taken by Plutt when she was three after her parents OD’d on a bad batch of heroin he’d sold them. He’d put her to work in one of his chopshops. About Satine. She’d been taken years before from a family with generations Omega blood; they were just waiting for her to present. She protected Rey once she sensed she was an Omega, convinced Plutt that she was a Beta instead. Rey was so young it was an easy sell. Satine had told her how to hide it, since there was no way she or Satine would be able to get a hold of blockers. So Rey did. She ate only enough to barely keep her small body alive, which wasn’t hard since Plutt rarely fed her anyway, considering Beta females worthless. It kept her body in a constant state of stress, which inhibited her pheromone development.

“I was always good at drawing. It’s something I could do just about anywhere and with anything. Plutt couldn’t take that from me. I applied to Columbia and a few other places in secret. And the rest...you know. More or less,” Rey finished.

Ben held her tighter. She could smell the rage bubbling inside him, just below the surface. She ran her fingers lightly up and down his arm, trying to calm him.

“Can you really make him pay, Ben?”

As Ben was about to answer, his phone pinged with a text.

Ben didn’t say anything as he reached for his phone, pulling away from her. Rey hissed as she felt him slip out of her, rolling over to face him. He had a satisfied half smile on his face.

“Why tell me to watch the papers,” Rey heard him mutter to himself.

“What?”

“Come on, let’s go watch TV.”

“Umm, okay?” Rey said laughing as Ben pulled her off the bed.

***

Ben had her settled on the couch with a mug of tea and a bowl of Cocoa Puffs before he flipped the TV on. Rey couldn’t suppress a giggle. They were both naked on his couch eating cereal in the middle of a heat and a rut. _It’s funny._ Somewhere she never thought she’d be.

Ben flipped the channel to an international news station, turning up the volume. A woman’s posh British accent filled the room.

“That’s right, Charles. We’re here at the scene where earlier today police found the bodies of rumored drug lord Unkar Plutt and his associate Teedo, known to authorities as The Sniffer. Both were slain execution style, their bodies displayed in a gruesome tableau. A portable hard drive was found between them, tied with a crimson ribbon and a card bearing the insignia of crime syndicate and occasional vigilante organization Crimson Dawn. 

Investigators have shared that the hard drive contains the names of several missing young men and women believed to have been victims of human Omega trafficking, as well as other details. Several young children and teens were found at the scene and have been taken into protective custody. 

We go now to a video of Qi’ra Ren, alleged head of Crimson Dawn, taped earlier today at her London penthouse:

_I certainly don’t know why you all come to me whenever a package tied with a crimson ribbon appears. As you well know, I was exonerated by the courts. But, I would say Crimson Dawn has done the world and humanity a tremendous favor, ridding it of scum like Plutt. I hope those children and families, as well as his former victims WHEN they are found, can find some measure of peace in his death._

“Lord and Lady Kenobi have now joined investigators, hoping to find evidence of their daughter Satine, named for her grandmother, who disappeared over fifteen years ago in one of England’s most high profile unsolved kidnappings…”

Rey turned off the TV and stared at the black screen for what felt like hours, but really it was probably seconds. 

“You did this. You made it happen. For me?” Rey looked over at Ben, who was leaning against the wall, looking at her with dark eyes. 

He nodded once. “Technically, she did it,” he murmured jerking his chin at the television. “Qi’ra Ren. She offered me a favor. A long time ago when I sought her out for help after I fought with my uncle Luke. I made the call last night. Truth be told, I think she already was planning on doing something about..him. Qi’ra’s organization deals in and tolerates a lot of horrible things, but human trafficking is not one of them.”

Rey sat with her hands braced on her knees, thinking for a long while. She thought of the woman in the video on TV. She had been elegantly dressed in a close fitting navy dress, aristocratic in her bearing. Her brown hair was streaked with grey and white and swept up in an elegant style. Three massive grey wolfhounds had lain at her feet, alert and watchful. Her eyes had been kind, but calculating with a tired, almost resigned look to them. Apparently she was a mob boss, and Ben knew her. Knew her enough to call in an old favor. For her. Rey knew she should probably be terrified. Her boyfriend knew a crime lord (lady?) and had ordered a hit on the men who had terrorized her as a child. That should terrify her, but it didn’t. Not even a little. Her Alpha had done that. For her. Because she’d asked it of him. She could feel Ben’s eyes on her, could sense the storm of emotions inside him, but he made no move, made no sound. 

“Did you mean everything you said last night?” she whispered, unable to look at him. He’d obviously meant what he’d said about making her tormentors pay. _Did he mean the rest of it?_

“Every word.”

Rey shivered. His voice was so deep, so sincere, she felt silly for doubting him. The heat was simmering faster in her veins. _Fuck it, we’ll figure the rest out as it comes._

“Do...do you love me, Ben?” she breathed. She could barely hear herself. He didn’t answer right away, and she didn’t think he heard her until he walked over and sat beside her on the couch. He ran his fingers softly across her skin, ghosting over the skin between her shoulder blades. Rey was struck suddenly by how little there was between his fingers and the gland there. How little resistance there’d be if he bit into her.

“I do, Rey,” Ben said, his voice deep and sure. “Do you love me?” he added, almost hesitantly.

In response, Rey got up and went to the bathroom where she had her bag. She rifled through it until she found the small bottle of pills. She carried it back out to the living room and into Ben’s kitchen. Ben was watching her, a strange look on his face. Holding his gaze, she turned the faucet on and poured the contents of the bottle down the drain. When it was empty, she set it on the counter and took a deep breath.

“Yes, I do. Those were my suppressants, Ben.”

He pushed off the couch and was by her side in maybe five seconds, holding her by the shoulders and absolutely burning her with the heat in his gaze. His mouth was open, but words weren’t coming out. Rey had to laugh, just a little, in spite of everything. Seeing Ben dumbfounded was always funny and adorable all at once.

“It wasn’t just the heat talking when I said I wanted you to be my Alpha forever,” Rey murmured, looking away.

“Rey…” There was so much weight behind her name when Ben uttered it.

“Or maybe it was, but I mean it.” She looked back up at him, returning his gaze heat for heat. “Claim me, my Alpha.”


	10. Darling Don't Be Afraid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took longer than I wanted. Depression and motherhood are kicking my ass you guys, so I hope it's okay.
> 
> Here is my contribution to "Let Ben Solo Chomp 2018" (phrase from jeeno2's Reylo tumblr [ Reylowhispers](https://reylowhispers.tumblr.com/)). It's pretty short, as it's literally only smut. I mean, I can only write so much without it feeling repetitive, lol.

Ben knew that as long as he lived, he’d remember this moment. Rey’s skin was burning beneath his fingertips, his grip maybe a hair too tight. Her scent, heightened by her heat and aroused state, was swirling all around him, driving him wild. Her hazel eyes were extremely dilated, pools of inky black with a thin ring of grey green. She was flushed all over, her freckles like little pinpoints of gold scattered across different parts of her body as if by some whimsical sprite. Her lovely mouth, kiss roughened to a deep pink, was saying the most beautiful words Ben had ever heard.

“Claim me, my Alpha,” Rey said, her voice filled with desire and finality.

Ben was not one given to overly dramatic gestures usually, but he couldn’t help but fall to his knees before her. He didn’t know what he’d done to deserve her, but here she was, offering herself to him. Wanting to be his Omega forever. He wrapped his arms around her slim frame and pressed his head to her stomach. Rey was burning everywhere, the scent of her arousal stronger. Her fingers gently scratched his scalp, the sensation going directly to where he was already throbbing for her, ready to satiate her, claim her. Forever. Ben tightened his grip around her and stood, looking up at the glowing woman in his arms. Rey braced herself on his broad shoulders and smiled, like a benevolent princess looking down at her devoted knight.

He carried her to his bedroom, setting her gently down on her feet beside the bed. Rey sat on the very edge and looked up at him, waiting, it seemed, for him to say something. Tell her what to do. Ben reached out and rubbed his thumb over the burning crest of her cheek. Rey turned into his touch, pressing a soft kiss into his palm before pulling his hand down to her neck and shoulder. He stroked her scent gland gently, making her sigh so sweetly. Ben leaned forward, capturing her lips with his own, groaning when she nipped at his lower one, pulling it slightly into her mouth. He crawled over her, caging her small body against the mattress with his much larger one. He buried his face into her neck and shoulder, inhaling and licking the sensitive heated skin greedily.

“Ben. My sweet Alpha please,” Rey moaned softly, lacing her fingers through his hair again. Ben shifted, allowing Rey to wrap her legs around his waist. Sliding his hands beneath her back, Ben lifted her off the bed so she was straddling him as he was on his knees. He held her close, throwing his head back and moaning when she slowly sank herself onto his hard cock. Rey rode him slow but hard, and Ben revelled in her, the sounds she made as she took her pleasure, the feel of her tight slick heat around him. She pulled his hair back firmly, further exposing the line of his throat. She pressed gentle wet kisses along the length of his neck, biting and sucking the skin over his scent gland. Ben knew there’d be a bruise tomorrow, and he loved it.

“That’s it, little Omega. Fuck yourself on your Alpha’s cock,” Ben purred when Rey’s pace grew more rapid and erratic. Her pants and moans were soft screams and sobs now as she brought herself closer and closer to the edge. Right as she was about to lose herself completely to her climax, Ben slid one hand up and dug his fingers into the skin of her mating gland, making Rey scream out and causing her intimate flesh to clench and spasm around him. He felt the warmth of her slick coat him as he pressed gentle kisses along her collarbone and sternum, easing her back down to him. She looked down at him with heavy lidded eyes and smiled.

“Please, Alpha,” she murmured, easing herself off of his lap and back onto the bed.

Her body was plaint beneath his hands as he gently turned her so she was on her knees before him. Rey tried to bend forward, but Ben wrapped his arms tight around her. He wrapped one hand gently but firmly around her neck, and the other drifted lower, caressing her golden skin with trembling fingers. Ben realized he was shaking as his fingers reached her slick folds. He stroked her hot flesh, already so wet again, and he hummed his pleasure. He made teasing passes at her clit, causing Rey to cry out sharply with each touch and bend further and further forward, taking him with her. When he finally had her on her hands, her back arched impossibly tight, Ben thrust firmly into her, making her keen. His grip on her neck was looser, but still firm as he thrust into her again and again and again, bringing them both to the brink. He continued to stroke her, wanting to feel her wetness to coat his fingers. He wanted her to beg him for it. For his knot. For his mark. He needed to hear her say it again.

“Oh my God, Ben! I need it Alpha!” Rey screamed.

“What do you need, Rey? Sweet little Omega, tell your Alpha what you want,” he hissed between his teeth. Ben could feel his knot forming; he was so close.

“Oh God! I need your knot Alpha. Please. I need your mark. Please, do it!” she screamed again.

Ben groaned, the sound low and primal in his throat as he tightened his grip around her neck and brought her off her hands, his other hand ceasing it’s frantic caresses and digging into the flesh of her hip, holding her up for him. _Now_ Ben’s body screamed at him.

“You’re mine,” Ben growled as he bit into her mating gland, his cock sinking deep, his knot forming and filling her completely. Rey sobbed in pleasure, the sound the most beautiful thing Ben had ever heard. He felt her walls clench around him again, pulling his spend deeper inside her. As her blood filled his mouth, the iron tang sharp on his tongue, Ben could already smell the change in her scent in that moment of beautiful alchemy, when it became something altogether new. It was her and him. Would be forever.


	11. Daisy, Daisy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we have it! The end! I hope this brings you guys the resolution you want/need for a few characters, one in particular. Thank you for sticking with me on this ride :O)
> 
> _Fern: confidence and shelter  
>  Zinnia: thinking of an absent friend, daily remembrance_
> 
> Fun fact: the Malamute in the beginning of _Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade_ was George Lucas' and was, in fact, named Indiana. He also inspired that lovable walking carpet Chewbacca. Anyone who's heard a Malamute or Husky sing will know precisely how.

Ben and Rey had moved to Maine together about a year after Ben claimed her, after Rey had graduated and her court and Title IX cases against her attacker had wrapped up. Ben had sold First Order and the loft to Hux, finally letting him turn it into the hipster bar he had always wanted. Gwyn and Rose had promised Ben that they wouldn’t allow Hux to make it too pretentious though. Ben used some of the money to buy Rey a simple ring, a one carat solitaire with a knife cut gold band. He carried it with him for months, never finding the right moment.

It was on one of their trips back and forth from Maine looking at property when he’d finally just said fuck it and proposed as they were lying in a motel bed, exhausted from traipsing around different residential and commercial listings in and around Bangor and driving for hours. Rey had shrieked her assent and jumped on him, and then they were exhausted for totally different reasons.

They’d eventually found a small bungalow style house on acreage a few miles outside the city and a store for lease in the right part of downtown for Rey’s shop. Ben had worked on the house while Rey had worked frantically to get her shop up and running. She had looked thin and wan while she was working to get the place open, despite Ben offering what help he could. He knew how stressful running a business was. The stress had made Rey’s heats erratic and unpredictable, but Ben was always able to tell when they were coming, sometimes before she knew, since her heat set off his rut. Rey would protest until Ben levelled her with a stare that he could tell ignited her, her scent giving her away. They would race for home, barely making it inside before their clothes were off. He always made sure to take extra good care of her.

In the brief periods of time Rey was home and during the lulls in their mating cycle, Ben played his guitar for her, his deep voice lulling her to sleep. In those quiet times between waves of heat and rut they talked about their future. The things they wanted. Their reasons were different, but neither of them were ready for children. Rey wanted to get her business fully off the ground, maybe travel, and Ben just didn’t feel ready mentally. The thought of being a father terrified him, despite Rey’s reassurances that he’d be a great one one day. It was during one of these talks that Ben broached the idea of getting a dog. Rey had jumped at the suggestion, opening her laptop to look up local rescues before Ben had to remind her with his tongue that they were in the middle of something much _much_ more pressing. 

***  
 _Two Years Later_

Rey was working on an arrangement of ferns and Zinnia for an order when the bell over the door gave it’s cheerful _ring-ring-ring._ The winter wind swirled into the shop, bringing its chill with it. Daisy, Daisy had been open for a few months now, and was doing very well. Positive word of mouth was spreading quickly among the locals, and soon Rey would be able to hire some help, which would be a welcome relief. She dusted her hands and looked up, breaking into a broad smile when she saw Ben walking in clutching a squirming mass of fluffy black and white fur.

“Ohmygod he’s adorable!” she cried, rushing over and swooping the creature out of Ben’s arms. The Malamute looked up at the crooning woman with warm golden eyes, pink tongue darting out to frantically lick her face.

“Yeah, real adorable,” Ben snorted. “He pissed all over the backseat.” He couldn’t help but smile though, seeing Rey so happy. Her nose was scrunched adorably as she rubbed her face in the puppy’s soft fur. Ben had to admit the little shit was pretty cute. They’d applied a few weeks ago to adopt one of the puppies rescued from a hoarding situation in a nearby town and had finally been allowed to take the last one home. Ben had brought him directly to the shop, knowing Rey would want to see him as soon as possible.

“Hi, by the way,” Rey said, standing on her toes and kissing his cheek.

“Hi,” Ben murmured, slipping his hand beneath the collar of her shirt and rubbing her scar. He captured her lips in a soft kiss, enjoying the warm feeling suffusing his blood before the puppy let out a howl of protest.

“You and me are going to have to work out a deal,” Ben grumbled, pointing at the puppy. 

Rey laughed, handing the wiggling mass of fur back to Ben. She went back to the counter, picking up where she left off with the ferns and Zinnias. 

“What should we name him?” Rey asked as she gently tugged a fern frond into place. Scrunching her face with displeasure, she tugged it back, adding another Zinnia bloom instead. 

Ben watched her with rapt fascination. He never tired of watching her hands at work. The puppy was calmer now, and Ben placed him on the floor, watching him carefully as he snuffled around the shop front, tearing his attention reluctantly away from Rey. He filled a small bowl with water and placed it on the floor, which the puppy gratefully started lapping up.

Finally registering that she’d asked him a question, he replied intelligently, “Umm…”

Rey laughed, making him blush slightly. He’d had a name in mind for a long time, since he was a kid really. He’d always promised himself that when he got a dog, he’d give it this particular name, but he didn’t know if Rey would like it.

“I dunno. I’ve always kind of liked the name Indiana for a dog,” Ben mumbled, looking kind of sheepish.

One of Rey’s eyebrows raised in a graceful arch. “Indiana? Really?”

“Yeah,” Ben said, shoving his hands in his pockets as he followed the puppy around. “We can pick something else if you don’t like it.”

“Indiana. I like it,” Rey said, coming up behind him and touching his arm lightly, the ring on her third finger glittering as it caught the light. Ben smiled.

***

A few months later, Rey was ringing up an order for a young man, a corsage and boutonniere of pink roses and baby’s breath for prom, when the bell rang. Rey looked up as a distinguished looking man and woman entered the shop. They were older, maybe Ben’s parents’ ages, and aristocratic in their bearing. Both Omegas, they had greying hair and were dressed smartly in professionally tailored clothes. Rey swore they looked familiar somehow, but couldn’t place where she’d seen them before. Rey looked out the large front window and saw a sleek black car parked out front, maybe a Bentley, a large man in sunglasses standing beside it. Seeing the imposing couple, the boy rushed out of the shop, uttering a hasty “thank you” as he left. The man and woman gave him apologetic smiles as he rushed past them.

Out of the corner of her eye, Rey saw Ben raise himself off the floor where he’d been sitting with Indiana, trying in vain to teach him to shake. He came and stood beside her, his hand resting on the small of her back. 

“Indiana, heel,” Ben commanded. The dog obeyed immediately, sitting beside Ben’s foot. 

“Hi, how can I help you?” Rey began cheerfully.

“Are you Rey Johnson?” the woman asked, her voice soft and cultured. 

Rey couldn’t hide her look of surprise at the woman’s British accent. It was definitely upper class. She nodded, temporarily unable to find her voice.

“And you must be Benjamin Solo,” the man added, his voice equally distinctive.

“I am,” Ben replied, his expression guarded. “And who might you be?”

“Apologies. I am Lord William Kenobi. This is my wife Lady Lyra Kenobi. My father knew your grandparents and your mother and uncle, Mr. Solo.”

Rey felt her knees go weak and she leaned into Ben. His arm went around her, holding her against his side. That’s why they looked familiar. She’d seen them on the TV and in the news whenever an alert came up on her phone about Satine. _Satine._ Last she’d heard, Satine had been found several months ago, by Crimson Dawn no less, but no news had been forthcoming since.

“Your mother told us we might find you here,” Lyra said. “She was visiting after one of her diplomatic trips, and she mentioned you were engaged to a Miss Rey Johnson. She showed us a picture of the two of you.”

“We could scarcely believe it, the coincidence. Satine had mentioned you, my dear. Was distraught that she could find no news of you after she came home.” William added, nodding to Rey.

Rey clutched at her throat. _Was it dry in here?_ “Wh-what?” she managed to choke out. Ben’s arm tightened around her.

Lyra nodded, smiling at Rey. “We wanted to meet you in person, Rey. Satine spoke about how you were like a little ray of hope in her darkness, how you’d fought so hard for her when she was…” Lyra pressed her fingers to her mouth and shook her head, overcome with emotion. She held her hands out, and Rey took them, pulling away from Ben. Lyra’s skin was cool, and her grip firm as she held Rey’s hands tightly. Her clear green eyes were filled with tears, but her smile was bright.

“Holy hell,” she heard Ben whisper. Indiana whined beside Ben.

Lyra turned to look over her shoulder, Rey following her gaze. She knew she’d be there, but Rey wasn’t ready for it. She pressed her hands to her mouth to stifle her sobs of joy as she saw Satine standing beside her father, a small smile on her face. Her hair was the same deep golden blonde, her eyes the same velvet blue. Rey could see a hint of gauze and medical tape beneath the collar of Satine’s deep blue sweater stretching up part of her neck and over her shoulder.

“Little Rey,” Satine murmured, her voice low and gentle like Rey remembered. She held her arms out, and Rey rushed into them.

“I can’t believe it’s really you,” Rey sobbed, vaguely aware her tears were falling onto Satine’s probably expensive wool sweater. Guilt swept over her, but not over the garment. “I’m so sorry.”

Satine shushed her, stroking Rey’s hair, like a mother would a child. “Don’t be sorry Little One. We were children trapped in a cruel place. I’m simply glad you were spared, and I was rescued.”

Rey felt the gauze beneath her cheek as she rested her head on Satine’s shoulder. It was then that Rey noticed Satine didn’t have a scent. At all. Rey looked at her friend, confused. Satine pulled away, taking Rey’s hands.

“We’re on our way home from Johns Hopkins. There’s an experimental treatment there. For Omegas,” Satine whispered, looking down at their clasped hands. “They’re hopeful that I’ll smell like me again someday.”

Rey nodded, tears falling down her cheeks. She had heard reports in the news about the treatment. It was to help Omegas who had been claimed against their will. Researchers were hopeful that with the right combination of neurotransmitters, pheromones, surgery, and of course therapy, that abused Omegas would be able to reverse the effects of an unwanted claim. Johns Hopkins, whose research was the most promising, had received several large donations in recent months and was able to start human trials. 

Satine wiped her own tears from her face and took a deep breath, looking at Ben, a bit of wariness in her eyes. “You must be Ben,” she said. “Qi’ra Ren sends her regards.”

Ben nodded, his jaw slack with disbelief. Rey couldn’t believe any of it either. She looked at Lord and Lady Kenobi. Their expressions would be funny, a curious mix of knowing and innocence, if the situation wasn’t what it was. That expression told Rey they knew exactly who Qi’ra Ren was, and that they could care less. She had given them their daughter back.

Indiana took advantage of his master’s preoccupation and pattered over to Rey and Satine. Satine knelt down and buried her face into the scruff of his neck, nuzzling his soft fur. “What’s his name?”

“Umm, Indiana,” Ben said, still obviously in shock over the scene happening in front of him. 

William walked over to Ben and clapped him on the back, causing Ben to stumble a bit. “Let’s let them talk,” Rey heard him whisper to Ben. 

“Yeah,” Ben replied softly. “I need to sit down.” William laughed as Lyra helped Ben to a chair. 

“He’s a good Alpha,” Satine whispered to Rey as they both cuddled Indiana on the floor. “My therapist Doctor Holdo is helping me trust again. I was glad to meet Ben’s mom and Uncle Luke, since they’re both Alphas too. Luke came with Leia when she visited. He was close with my grandfather.”

Rey listened as Satine continued talking about her treatment and therapy. She sounded hopeful, and Rey was in awe of her strength. Ben was chatting with William and Lyra at the small table where Rey kept books of the different arrangement packages she offered at Daisy, Daisy. The large man had taken up position near the door, keeping a watchful eye on Satine.

“That’s Cliff. He protects me,” Satine said seeing the direction of Rey’s gaze. Cliff nodded at Rey.

Rey nodded back, eventually resting her head on Satine’s shoulder again. Satine fell silent and encouraged Rey to talk about her life since London. Rey happily obliged, and they both talked until they were hoarse. Indiana fell asleep between them, his snores making them laugh. Rey could feel Ben’s eyes on her, and when she looked up at him, he was smiling.

“You glow when he looks at you,” Satine murmured in her ear, resting her head against Rey’s.

Rey felt herself blush and she looked away. “Do not,” she muttered.

“Do too. And so does he when you look at him.”

***

Rey was silent as she, Ben, and Indiana made their way home. The car’s headlights illuminated the thick trees as they drove along the winding road. She and Satine had talked for hours more, until well after dark. Eventually, her parents had cleared their throats, saying they needed to get going. They had a plane to catch back to England the next day.

“You’re always welcome to stay at Cliffbriar, should you be across the pond,” Lyra had offered, giving both Rey and Ben hugs.

William had given them both hearty handshakes. Satine hugged Rey tight, as if she didn’t want to let go. After some hesitation, she held out her hand to Ben, which he took gingerly, giving it a gentle shake. She looked over her shoulder at Rey as they walked out, giving a small wave as she got in the Bentley.

Rey had collapsed into Ben’s arms and cried for several minutes after their car pulled away. Indiana had leaned against her, trying to comfort his mistress. 

She thought deeply on the ride. It wasn’t sadness, not really. Rey wasn’t sure what it was. It was many things. Too many things. She reached for Ben’s hand, resting on his thigh. He was used to driving manual, so he typically drove her car one handed, since it was an automatic. She wrapped her fingers around his, holding tight the rest of the way.

When they finally got home, Rey followed him and Indiana inside slowly, in a daze. She plopped into her favorite chair in their living room, throwing her feet over the armrest and kicking off her shoes. Indiana curled into a ball in front of the fireplace, giving a tired ‘harrumph’ as he did. Ben went to work lighting the kindling in the grate, a small blaze quickly springing to life. Even though it was May now, nights were still very cold, and Rey appreciated the fire’s warm glow and she watched the flames flicker and dance. Ben went about turning off all the lights in the house before he sat on the floor at the foot of Rey’s chair. 

Rey absentmindedly stroked Ben’s soft hair as he massaged her thigh, his head resting in her lap. They watched the fire’s dance for quite a while, Ben occasionally rising to put more logs on the fire, before either of them said anything.

“What do you need, Rey?” Ben asked softly.

Rey thought a moment. She was quite content like this, but she thought of something.

“Play for me, Ben,” she replied, her voice hardly above a whisper. “Something sad but sweet.”

Ben rose and went for his guitar sitting on its stand beside the hearth, the dark wood gleaming with the fire’s glow. He gave a few experimental strums, twisting the pegs for the strings that needed tuning.

“Anything you need, Sweetheart,” he murmured as he began to strum, his fingers dancing almost in time with the flames’ flicker.

> You must remember this  
> A kiss is just a kiss  
> A sigh is just a sigh  
> The fundamental things apply  
> As time goes by


End file.
